Alphas and Betas
by Niji Hitomi Kabra
Summary: Ichigo has matured as a Human, he's obtained the pinnacle of Shinigami powers, but growing up as a Hollow brings new surprises. And a new threat on the horizon does not bode well for the Visored and his mate. WARNING: Mpreg! Yaoi and het.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Happy Grimm/Ichi Day 2012! _**WARNING! THIS STORY CONTAINS MPREG!**_

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Chapter 1 - Heat

It didn't matter that the music was in a foreign language, the message was the same. And the voice! It didn't matter that it wasn't his voice. It sounded close enough to him that it worked at a substitute. That gravelly, demanding, arrogant voice that had thundered in defiance of all that was authority. Wild, savage, and so completely free. Who'd have thought that after it was all over he would be the source of comfort?

The form on the bed—no, bed wasn't the right word, nest was better—in the nest, flopped over carelessly, an arm flopped over the owner's eyes blocking out the harsh sunlight driving needles into his brain, tried desperately to drown himself, his thoughts, in the music. He couldn't get that voice out of his mind. Not that voices in his mind were odd for the sunset-haired, lanky, just past teen-years, substitute Shinigami. But the Old Man and the Pain in the Ass were hardly just voices.

When the trio of songs ended, the Visored growled loudly, and using his other hand smacked the play button on his mp3 player, cursing once again at the lack of "repeat all" feature thanks to it having been free from his previous part-time job. He figured it was a better parting gift than he really deserved given how often he'd had to call off and then the way he had quit after the whole Fullbring incident. The owner—Mrs. Something-or-other, he couldn't really remember anymore—told him if he ever needed another job he was welcome to it, but since regaining his abilities as the Shinigami/Visored/Whatever-he-was, he'd felt out of sorts, withdrawn, disconnected. He'd even go so far as to say he felt "bitchy".

Listening the songs through a third time, he realized he wasn't getting any sleep this morning, and threw himself off of the bed, trying desperately to not look at his reflection, a far cry from the fiery, untamed hero those of the Gotei 13 revered. Circles under his eyes large enough to look like tattoos belonging to The Voice, and a skin tone lacking its bronzed, healthy glow. He raked his hand through his hair with another growl, the stuff was getting too long, but he just couldn't bring himself to cut it. He snorted at his reflection, any longer and he was going to have to start wearing a ponytail like Renji.

He was still pulling at his hair, trying to tame the unruly mop, when his cell phone went off. A single glance told him all he needed and he flipped the screen up to answer. "'Lo?" He asked groggily.

"Ichigo! Where have you been? It's almost 1 in the afternoon, you promised you'd be here to welcome Sado-kun home from Mexico." The bubbly strawberry-blonde on the other end of his connection heard him groan.

"Yeah, I'll be right there, 'Hime." He flipped the phone closed before even listening for Orihime's next comment.

They dated for a short while, during their last year of high school, but after a few weeks the dark stranger Ichigo thought long dead wandered back into their lives, asking for a second chance, both with the Shinigami and the fair Orihime. While the jury was still out in the Gotei 13, the humans and Ichigo had learned how to tolerate the former Espada Cuatro. With the introduction of several of the Visoreds back into Seireitei as the missing taicho, the attitude towards higher Hollows like Arrancar had shifted from deadly enemy to tolerated neighbor. Ichigo didn't think there would ever be a true peace between the two worlds, but having the Visoreds among the Gotei 13 gave the Shinigami a crucial peek into society in Hueco Mundo before Aizen's science experiment.

So, Ulquiorra had shown up on their doorsteps, seemingly cured of his hunger for souls, but insatiable regarding the anthropology of the Living World. Orihime leapt at the idea of tutoring him, and Ichigo found himself not really caring about the amount of time the two spent together. This eventually led to the two orangettes ' going their separate ways.

Groaning again as the sunlight hit his abused amber orbs, Ichigo pulled a pair of extremely dark glasses out of his back jeans pocket to don them before stepping lightly off of the porch of his apartment building. It wasn't much, but it was better than living with Goat-Face. Tiredly looking from one side to the other, Ichigo gave into the voice of his Pain in the Ass, and sonido'd towards the airport across town.

It took him all of about a minute to cross the distance once he leaned on Shiro, the other gladly adding to his King's speed. So, when he entered the waiting area to join Orihime, Ishida, Ulquiorra, Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizeru, the group knew he'd cheated to get there. He crossed to an empty chair nearby where he could watch the plane landing without a word to anyone.

As the steel bird taxied up to the terminal gate, he felt the presence of others that had come to greet their long time Giant; Rukia, Renji, Yoruichi, and Hat-n-Clogs. He could hear everyone whispering behind him, and his brows knitted together when Rukia gasped then started over to him.

He cut her off, "I haven't slept, and I was late. I wasn't going to miss out on him coming home. So, I flashed here. No one saw. Relax."

Her mouth like a fish-trap, Rukia turned to her best-friend-turned-brother-in-law furious, but the tattooed redhead only shrugged. None of them really expected anything less from the brooding, Visored. The rest of the time before Chad arrived was spent in a semi-tense silence.

Just before the giant's reiatsu touched them, Ulquiorra stepped over to Ichigo with a puzzled look on his face. "Kurosaki-san?" He began, almost losing his nerve as blood-shot eyes glanced up at him from between the glasses and the orange fringe, but he pushed forward, "Inoue-san has expressed a concern about your current attitude. I was wondering if there might be something you'd like to—"He hesitated, searching for the right phrase, "I believe 'get off your chest' is what humans say." Though not as monotone as he had been under Aizen, the former Espada was anything but dramatic.

Ichigo's soul piercing stare never changed, but he did blink a few times, once his irises glowing faintly gold before resuming their standard amber shade. His voice was gravelly from lack of sleep, "No."

"I see." The Arrancar pursed his lips and took a quick glance over his shoulder to guarantee that the others weren't listening. Taking a small breath, "I only bring this up because, while the others seem not to have noticed, you did not arrive here via Flash Step, but by using Sonido. The movement is essentially the same, but to one who spends his time observing the differences in everything, I can tell the difference between the two." He noticed that Ichigo's right hand gripped the armrest slightly tighter, as the already pale knuckles were drained a bit. "I will not reveal your secret, but I believe I may have answers to some of the questions that might be running through your mind right now. This is a particularly difficult time for young Hollows of all sorts, no matter the path they have taken to obtain their Hollow abilities. Going through it alone is highly unadvisable, but as you're likely to receive better care and understanding here, I do not suggest going to Hueco Mundo, no matter what your inner-self seems to think." He moved to place a hand on the young Visored, only to have him flinch away from the contact with something resembling a hiss. "It may sound ironic, but please, Kurosaki-san, trust me."

With that Orihime's cheering brought both parties out of their conversation, as a much darker Chad walked into their midst. He was wearing an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt over a white wife-beater style sleeveless shirt, and relaxed jeans over what could only be called "cowboy boots". His hair was longer, pulled back into a low ponytail, but his bangs still fell to cover his eyes most of the time, and his chin sported a crisp goatee. The others crowded around him, greeting him happily and asking a million questions he had no time to answer.

Ulquiorra hung back, preferring to observe the behavior of greeting an old friend, but he was rather shocked that Ichigo hadn't moved from where his chair was either. Sure, the berry was on his feet, but he didn't seem to be making any kind of attempt to move closer to the lumbering man. The Arrancar switched his focus to Ichigo, taking in the way the young man licked his lips as if his mouth was dry, and flexed his hands, wiping sweat off of them. Blinking his eyes once, he switched the filters he saw through, and began to observe everyone's reiatsu. There was no doubting that all around him were quite a bit stronger than he had first observed, with Ichigo being the largest jump, but what he found buried under the signatures was worth studying. The hulking part-Mexican was emitting a similar reiatsu from both arms as a Hollow, and while that in and of itself was cause to concern Ulquiorra, as he also noted that Ichigo's reiatsu had begun reaching towards Chad's. Stealing a glance at the berry, he determined that the connection wasn't lust, but safety. Tilting his head minutely to the side, he stared harder at the strawberry, his confusion becoming evident across his face, and the deeper his confusion went the more enthralled with the orangette he became.

Somehow throughout Ulquiorra's scrutiny the three Hollow-based men started gravitating towards one another, drawn by some impossible to resist hidden force. All thought seeming to drain from their minds. Just as Chad and Ulquiorra were about to pull out their powers, Shinji appeared suddenly between them.

"Yare yare! You bunch are scary, y'know that?" He laughed, his face split with a piano-tooth grin but his eyes screaming just how serious he was about standing between the ex-Espada and the Fullbringer.

His presence seemed to snap Ichigo out of his trance for the most part. He looked around wildly for a moment, as though he'd forgotten how he'd gotten into the mess he was in, and felt the flush of color rising up his neck as he took in the concerned faces of his friends, as well as the level of tension among Chad, Ulquiorra, and Shinji.

He stammered something about needing to leave as the blush spread across his cheeks deeper than he thought possible, and then he bolted, disappearing in a soft whoosh that could only mean something the equivalent of a Flash Step, leaving his friends even more dumbfounded than before. Except for the three males standing in a row about to tear each other's heads off.

"What the Hell was that?" Rukia finally burst out, shaking the three from staring after the retreating berry.

The blonde shopkeeper frowned a bit behind his fan, as Shinji and Ulquiorra closed their eyes for a moment to almost literally shake off the effects of the standoff. The stoic ex-Espada was the first to come out of it, and he immediately crossed the distance between himself and Chad, bowed and said, "My apologies, welcome home, Sado-san. How was your trip?"

That seemed to break Chad's concentration as well, as the muscles along his shoulders settled a bit, and he bent to pick up his carry-on bag that had somehow in the tension of the moment been set down. He flashed a small smile, never being one for many words, and nodded to the much smaller male. The tension of before apparently forgotten except for a lingering concern that only those closest to him would notice.

Once the rivals had come out of their stupor, Kisuke and Shinji led the group back to the Urahara Shoten for the welcome party that was scheduled for Chad. The two blondes met eyes silently, but everyone pointed ignored Rukia's outburst, much to the midget's displeasure, which she was more than happy to take out on Renji.

The party was well in full swing when Yoruichi exited the Shoten for a breath of fresh air. Several of the other Taicho and Fukutaicho had come through the Senkaimon into the shop's basement, and with the free flowing sake things were getting quite stuffy down there between those that wanted to spar and those that wanted to do other extra-curricular activities. The cat-woman shook her head, chuckling, until she caught the tormented reiatsu sitting on the roof.

"Oi! Berry, why don't you come join the party? I know everyone would love to see you relax for a while." She tilted her head to look up at him for a moment before joining him on the roof.

Though he was still dressed in the same tee shirt and jeans combination he had worn that afternoon, now that the sun had set he had forgone the sunglasses. He looked down at the Shioin and the grief that weighed in those pools of amber almost leveled her. He was much too young to have seen and done all of the things he had in his short life. The elder sighed and took a seat next to the 20-year-old, who unconsciously leaned against her. Though this was highly out of character for him, Yoruichi sensed that maybe there was something going on under the surface that any amount of teasing would lock away permanently.

After a few minutes of silence, the feeling that Ichigo had something to get off of his chest growing heavier, Yoruichi spoke up softly, "Whatever it is, Ichi-berry, you know we're behind you, right?"

The strawberry nodded silently. He wanted to spill everything, the dreams, the cravings, the fevers, way at times he could barely lift Zangetsu, but he just couldn't. His pride just wouldn't let him admit out loud that he was weakening. He pulled out his mp3 player and did the only thing that seemed to be able to cut through this haze surrounding him, listening to the same rough voice again. He was just about to replay the songs, still leaning on Yoruichi, when a shrill scream that was half howl cut through the silence of the night.

Without thinking, Ichigo jumped down to his feet in front of the Shoten, and unaware that he had more watchers than Yoruichi, allowed his form to shift into Shinigami, as smoothly as going from Shikai to Bankai, no soul badge required, though the violet piercing glare could see he still carried it with him. Zangetsu was off his back and he was Flash Stepping away before anyone in his audience could say anything.

So caught up in watching the seemingly impossible events that had just occurred, the Shinigami missed the emerald-eyed shadow that followed Ichigo, having caught something the others didn't—the berry was already sweating.

The Hollow was nothing, just a normal Hollow not even a Menos, but even so, by the time their collective wits were gathered, Rukia, Orihime, Chad, Uryuu, Renji, and the only other Arrancar given freedom to travel between worlds, Nelliel, rushed into the playground not too far from Urahara's shop to find Ichigo still fighting off the thing. He was struggling, sweat and blood pouring down his back where his shihakusho was torn. The sight made them all pause in confusion. There was no reason he should be having trouble with a Hollow of this level.

Renji flipped his own sunglasses down and did a reading on the reiatsu of the beast, then shook his head at Rukia, the silent conversation confusing the small Kuchiki even further. There really was no reason for Ichigo to have trouble, but he apparently was.

Uryuu flared his bow into existence after witnessing Ichigo being thrown across the park by the Hollow that appeared eerily similar to Zabimaru's nue form, but before he could even fire off a single shot, the creature did something odd. It galloped over to Ichigo and licked up the Visored's back, eliciting a sound from the berry most gathered there flushed to hear.

Cursing under his breath at having been pinned by the Hollow for the second time, Ichigo growled and tried to head-butt the masked face attempting to lick him again. It didn't do much, other than give him the beginnings of a headache, but it was enough to make the Hollow pause, which was enough to give Ichigo a chance to pull on his Visored mask.

His transformation, though invisible from the angle of his spectators, was felt through the heavy reiatsu change. Holding their collective breaths as the area by the trees where the Hollow had Ichigo pinned began to glow bright red, they were all on edge, but being held back by some unknown paralyzing force. The most any of them could do was Orihime had her hand on her hair clips, ready to call forth Shun Shun Rikka the moment Ichigo reappeared. The thundering sound of the Cero pounded their eardrums, but none of them bowed under the weight of it. When the flash died down the Hollow was gone, and Ichigo was just lying on the ground as though this had been a major fight. He groaned and the collectively held breath was released, along with the paralyzing force that had been holding them all back.

Orihime and Nell were the first to run to him, followed closely by Rukia and Renji, though Chad and Uryuu were not far behind. All of them calling for Ichigo.

His vision blurred, his back felt like a thousand electric wires cutting through him, but worse was the aching emptiness that suddenly rushed in on him, almost bringing tears to his eyes. He became aware of the others running at him, and reacting without thinking, he screamed, "DON'T TOUCH ME!" And tried to Flash Step, only to fail, tripping over his own shoe laces as his form shifted back to what appeared to be Human. He felt himself falling, and found his movements to be horribly slow and unresponsive. At some point his body hit the ground, but he kept falling, into the black, crushing heat that had been the source of his sleep disturbances and fevers for months now.

When he opened his eyes, he was in his mindscape, the sideways skyscrapers having returned after he regained his powers, and the sea receding to be simply a lake of grief that he would never rid himself of. Zangetsu was balancing on his blade in meditation, but the Old Man spoke anyway.

"You're suffering." He said plainly.

"Yeah." Ichigo sighed, sitting next to him.

"You know what you need to do." Came the deep reply.

"Yeah."

They sat like that for a while, in silence, letting the wind that was too hot whip around them. The clouds drifting lazily sideways across what would have been the sky in the real world. The building energy approaching them informed them both they were about to be joined before the white Pain in the Ass showed up.

"Oi! King!" He was tackled and punched before digging his knee into the white gut and throwing the bleached menace off of him. After crashing into the building above them, Shiro recovered enough to sneer at the other two. "Ja miss me?"

Ichigo simply glared at his "twin".

"I come ta tell ya that yer _friends,_" He spit the word, "saw yer shifting trick."

Ichigo's glare deepened. "How? You were supposed to make sure our Sonido was faster than their Shunpo!" His voice quiet, deadly, and darker than it had been before the merging of the three souls. Though they were separated again to live as three entities within Ichigo's mindscape, no one there questioned who was King any longer, as the power to fuse them all into a single being, snuffing out both others, was still available to their ruler.

Shiro shrugged, and kicked at some non-existent dust on the glass of one of the windows beneath their feet.

"Don't give me that. The only way they could have caught us was if you let them, Shiro, and you know it." The orangette's eyes burned like liquid gold while the Old Man watched the inevitable confrontation between King and Horse, bored behind his sunglasses.

Clearly not willing to answer for his mistake, Shiro simply turned around, throwing a cocky, smart-assed grin over his shoulder, and began to walk off, disappearing into the building below them. Ichigo quickly fired a Cero after the retreating white shadow, but knew that he wouldn't get anything more out of the Pain in the Ass. Too frustrated to remain in his mindscape any longer, he snorted, gave a nod to Zangetsu, and disappeared back to the Living World.

As such he didn't see or hear when Shiro returned to stand next to the Old Man, who rumbled, "You know, sooner or later the two of you are going to have to resolve this issue. He'll die if it isn't."

Shiro scratched his head, more emotion in his black and gold eyes than he'd ever dare to show in front of his King. "I know. I just don' know what ta do ta tell him. You know he's never been one ta listen ta me, even when I was savin' his ass!" He kicked at the invisible dirt again and focused on the windows at their feet to watch through Ichigo's eyes.

Opening his eyes, Ichigo immediately hissed in pain and threw his arm over the abused orbs as the light brought the never ending pressure of tympani drums resounding in his skull. _When will it ever end_, he wailed internally. He'd never voice things like that out loud, but safe within the confines of his own mind, locked away from the other two who lived there, he allowed himself to actually feel the longing, the need, the burning lust that threatened at any moment to consume his ability to think with logic. He felt that he was lying on a futon and a quick sniff of the air told him he was at the Shoten, Yoruichi's favorite bath salts infiltrating his nose. He could also tell that although the owners of the shop were trying very hard to remain concealed behind the paper screen separating his recovery room from the next, they were intently listening to his every move. They probably thought his back was still torn to ribbons. Shifting his shoulders slightly on the futon told him that as usual Shiro's regenerative abilities had removed all but thin, silvery scars. All he had to do was wait for nightfall to make his escape from his well-wishing guards, as he had no idea where his sunglasses were, and even removing his arm from over his closed eyes sent new throbbing through his cranium.

Off to the side the entire group from the previous night; Rukia, Orihime, Renji, Uryuu, Ulquiorra, Chad, Yoruichi, Kisuke, Nell, and the added Byakuya, Toshiro, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Rangiku, and Shinji crowded around Hat-n-Clogs' tea table while Tessai and Ururu served the crowded guests tea and cookies. Jinta was nowhere to be found, but given his disdain for work, none in the Shoten were surprised.

"So, what do we know of the problem with Kurosaki-san?" The stoic noble asked softly, taking a sip of his tea. His life partner had a positive impact on his outlook on including others into his inner circle. If it hadn't been for Renji's near constant refusal to give in regarding the cherry-blossom lord, he might still have been shouldering the guilt he had bourn over his late wife, Hisana. Now, he carried her with him as a happy reminder that although all good things end, the important part is to remember they were good.

"From what I understand, Kuchiki-Taicho," The equally stoic ex-Espada also drank lightly from his cup across the table. The two were practically mirror images of each other, but for Ulquiorra's Hollow mask. "Kurosaki-san has come of age. In Hollow terms, he is an adult now."

Kisuke whistled lightly. "I didn't even know Hollows grew up. I thought that all Hollows were just Human souls with no heart." The glares sent across the table at him, had the blonde shopkeeper laughing nervously with his hand behind his head. "Not that anyone here has no heart, of course!"

"That is essentially correct, Kisuke-sama." Ulquiorra continued. "However, Arrancar are not ordinary Hollows. We are born of two Hollows and as such retain a semblance of Humanity through our evolutions." The Shinigami especially leaned in to listen to this intimate exposure of Hollow society. Looking around for the first time since he started speaking, Ulquiorra's pasty cheeks flushed slightly, a habit he picked up from Orihime, at seeing all but Ikkaku, Byakuya, Nell, and Shinji leaning into the table with rapt attention on him. He cleared his throat. "It is not often for Hollow children to survive, as our first enemies are often those that gave birth to us, but every so often an Arrancar will have children. Those that Aizen rose to be his Espada were such children, as only the most powerful of children can survive the deserts and forests of Hueco Mundo, and he specifically sought the most powerful for his army. Certain types are also more prone to breeding than others." He flushed again, growing a bit uncomfortable under the constant scrutiny. "Feline, Demonic, and Canine specifically." He sort of trailed off at that point, now nervously shifting from one pair of boring eyes to another.

"I believe, Ulquiorra-san has explained himself well." Byakuya gently chided those around him, and everyone suddenly sat back like they hadn't been at all interested, much to the emerald-eyed Arrancar's relief.

There were plenty of details he left out, of course, like the fact that not all males and females were what they appeared to be, but as the Shinigami began talking amongst themselves he felt that they had been given enough information to satisfy them for the moment. He closed his eyes, enjoying the taste of his tea. Since coming to the Human World and living in a gigai, he had noticed an affinity for well-prepared cuisine and a surprising decrease in his desire for soul consumption, leading him to spend less and less time in Hueco Mundo in favor of staying closer to the strawberry-blonde airhead who had first taught him about the concept of "heart". Even now said airhead had scooted herself over to lean on his shoulder. He wasn't sure how to truly show his affection, but just allowing her to show her affection for him seemed to satisfy her. So, this time he gave her a small, private smile behind the security of his teacup.

"So, what does this mean, Espada-san?" Toshiro turned back to the Demonic man.

"As far as Kurosaki-san goes, the attacks like last night are only going to continue, and until Kurosaki-san has chosen a mate, he will continue to get weaker and weaker. The idea being that if he is unable to fight off his attackers it is more likely he will be subdued for—" He blushed deeper than any in the room had ever seen before, and found himself unable to continue. "I believe the rest of this conversation should be held in private with Kurosaki-san himself."

At that moment the door into Ichigo's room slid open and the topic of conversation stumbled out, half dressed and glaring darkly at the crowd in the Shoten. The sun had set during the meeting and Tessai had seen to turning the lights on. Without warning the bulb above the table exploded and only Byakuya, Ulquiorra, Kisuke and Shinji had seen the almost microscopic Gestuga Tencho fired from the hand above the orangette's head where he was leaning against the doorframe.

"Oi! Ichigo! What the hell was that?" Renji swore, jumping to the correct assumption that the berry had something to do with the sudden darkness in the shop.

Similar complaints echoed from a few of the others, but Ichigo said nothing. He had heard enough, confirming some of his deepest fears. He knew some of what they were talking about from conversations with his Pain in the Ass, and suspected what Ulquiorra hadn't said thanks to his lack of interest in females since Orihime. A tense silence fell over the room as all gathered began to notice Ichigo's eyes, glowing gold in the darkness where no light was shining.

All in all the savior of the Seireitei looked quite feral, standing in the doorway, eyes glowing, only bandages and shadows keeping the world from seeing the well-defined planes of his torso and abdomen. When he spoke it was soft, and filled with something akin to sorrow, "So, how long do I have?"

A shiver ran down the spines of everyone who had witnessed his loss of power several years ago, and Shinji closed his eyes, having been particularly quiet the whole night. He already knew what Ulquiorra had and hadn't said. A hundred plus years of being a Visored had made the apparently young pack leader and Shinigami taicho wiser than he looked or acted. "You know you are a welcome member of our pack, Ichigo. You need not suffer from this. Rose and Love have already—"

"No." Ichigo cut him off, obviously having discussed this before. "Forgive me, Hirako-Taicho, but you know why I cannot agree to such a proposal."

"Well, sometimes, Ichi-berry, you can't have the best. We don't even know if he's still alive. Mashiro and Hiyori had to return before anything turned up for the same reason you cannot go look for him. Lisa and the others can't go for the same reason I cannot. We would be too tempted." The lead Visored sounded genuinely concerned for the younger man.

"Why do I get the feeling we're missing out on somethin', Yumi!" Ikkaku sniffed from his lounging position on one of Yoruichi's beanbag pillows near the shop portion of the building.

"Indeed. It seems there has been some information left out." The be-feathered man tossed his hair lightly so he could look up at Shinji and Ichigo from over his shoulder, as he was seated very near Ikkaku on his knees. "Keeping secrets is most un-beautiful, especially from your friends, Ichigo."

"Yeah!" Rangiku slammed her hands down on the table, pouting quite fully, her ample chest bouncing from her movement. "I thought you trusted us, Ichigo! We're your friends!"

"Matsumoto!" The irritated growl from the snow-haired taicho beside the busty blonde reminded her that she needed to behave. So she sat back with another pout, this time at her captain, as Toshiro opened his eyes to look up at Ichigo as well. "Is there something not being said here, Kurosaki?"

Before the orangette can respond, Nel spoke up for the first time since Ichigo's attack, "It's not something we like to talk about in public." She was in her adult form, as her mood was quite more subdued than normal. "It is up to Itsygo to inform you if he wishes, but pressing him on the matter is actually considered quite rude where we come from."

"But, Ichigo isn't a Hollow, or an Arrancar, or anything, he's a Human." Rukia insisted.

"No, but he does have a Hollow half, and he is a Visored." Kisuke pointed out, also taking in what hadn't been said by any of the Hollow-esque folks in the room. "And I can assure you that the same way he had to go through the rigors of learning Bankai like a Shinigami, it is not surprising that he has to mature in the way of the Arrancar as well."

Renji, who had crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at the table while working through the entire discussion, finally spoke up, "I think—for once—we need ta just let Ichigo handle this without getting' in his way like we always do. If he needs our help I'm sure he'll ask fer it, but if he doesn't—we might just be hurtin' him by tryin' ta help when he doesn't need it." Most around him stared at him in awe. The powerful redhead had his back to Ichigo and, along with Uryuu and Chad, had been quite silent weighing something that Byakuya had said to him once about listening between the lines of a conversation.

The Quincy was the first to stand from where they were all seated, and as such was the only one to notice Ichigo flinch when he moved towards his vibrant friend. With worry creasing his brows, he said, "I agree with Abarai-san. If you need us, Ichigo, all you need do is ask."

The orangette mumbled, "Arigato, Ishida." He looked around the room again, as now that they'd all been sitting in the dark for a while his headache was beginning to ease, in spite of constant chatter. So, he took a tentative step into the room.

Immediately, Shinji, Chad, and Ulquiorra froze and their hands flew to their noses. Byakuya sat up straighter, tense and alert, his hand unconsciously seeking Renji's under the table. Yumichika practically flew into Ikkaku's lap when the bald man grabbed his shihakusho, and Kisuke's fan was quickly brought up to wave in front of his shadowed face. Nell sighed and got up when Ichigo froze, fully aware of what he'd done to the others. She did the unthinkable and gathered the berry into her arms and held him close, her comforter needing her comfort as internally it finally hit him just how badly he was out of sorts. She pushed him back a step or two into the doorway again, firmly keeping her body between him and the others, as they all visibly relaxed. He mumbled a stream of apologies into her shoulder and she shushed him, both thankful that he'd removed the light source from the room so that no one's embarrassing moments could be seen with any great deal of clarity.

Shinji was the first to come out of the trance-like state they all suffered, and cleared his throat. "That is why I keep suggesting it, Ichi-berry. It won't be long now until one of us that is more seriously affected by your current state of being is unable to control themselves and you will wind up in a situation with someone not of your choosing. Please," He actually begged the vibrant Visored youth in both words and body, "find an Alpha. Quickly."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **There is lemon in this chapter! I apologize to those that want it because it's so short, and for those that don't want it, the sections are marked by a bold warning. Enjoy. =)

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Chapter 2 - Mating

Across town from the Urahara Shoten the sky split apart, a large black rip tearing the atmosphere. The figure that emerged was tall, well built, and sported a head full of sky blue hair, currently darkened by the state of night. He scoffed scanning the area, looking for the tell-tale reiatsu of one orange-haired Shinigami brat, while standing in midair. His hands shoved into the pockets of his white hakama. Scowling at the inability to sense his prey, he sniffed the air, pulling in the scents of the Human World. If his berry was here, he'd find him. Once he set his eyes on a particular prey, he always caught it.

Back at the Shoten the party had begun to disperse. Most of the Shinigami returning to the Soul Society, and taking Yoruichi and Orihime with them as liaison for the ex-Espada, who was forbidden from entering Seireitei. At a glance from both Nel and Shinji, Uryuu and Chad went home as well, a shared apartment with Ulquiorra and Orihime not far from where the Xcution had their headquarters for a while. Though the other Fullbringers had never shown back up again, Chad was kept on their payroll for courtesy purposes. In fact the rumor was that Jackie had been in Mexico with Chad, but the large man would neither confirm nor deny it.

This left Kisuke, Shinji, Ulquiorra, Rukia, and Nell with Ichigo, who was now able to sit in the room without seriously affecting the three males too badly. He was currently looking down at floor, trying to bore a hole in it with his glare. He hated the way he felt. He hated the way it affected the others. He hated everything about what was going on at the moment, but the only solution that had been provided was not an option.

"So, explain this to me again?" Rukia asked, frowning at her notebook, which was covered with Chappies in an attempt to illustrate the points they were making.

Shinji and Ulquiorra exchanged glances, and Ichigo spoke up, "Haven't you picked my sex life apart enough, Midget?"

"Ichigo, I'm just trying to understand what you need." She glared, letting the 'midget' comment slide for now. "Hirako-Taicho and Ulquiorra-san have told me that all Arrancar and Visoreds are of the same bloodline, simply coming from two different paths, and that there are three types, but what I can't understand is how you could be anything but an Alpha?"

Ichigo's face was flushed quite red, and his temper only getting worse as the conversation drifted closer and closer to his deepest secret. "What is there to understand? My reiatsu is too strong to be an Alpha."

"But that makes no sense!" Rukia was clearly frustrated. If Alphas Arrancar ruled over Betas, the way that they did with wolf packs and lion prides, how could a Beta Arrancar be more powerful than an Alpha? She dug her fingers into her choppy hair in frustration.

Kisuke grinned behind his fan, and twittered when the others in the room all opened their mouths to try to explain it again to the poor confused Shinigami, who was beginning to regret volunteering to collect the information on the subject. "My dear Kuchiki-Fukutaicho, it is quite simple. To put it in Living World terms, who truly has the power in a relationship, the male or the female?"

Affronted at the question, Rukia huffed, "The female, of course! Everyone knows that. The males are there for protection and breeding." She flushed, knowing that she was bordering on quoting Soi-Fon and Yoruichi.

"Exactly!" Shinji grinned his signature piano-toothed smile.

"Arrancar Betas are female, regardless of physical gender. As such they are more powerful than most Alphas like to admit. It is why so many are killed, and why Nature has manipulated things such that Betas get progressively weaker until they either die or are claimed by an Alpha that can subdue them." Ulquiorra said thoughtfully.

Nel shifted a bit closer to Ichigo, "It's why we Betas have to stick together. So we can defend each other from unwanted attention from Alphas. Especially at this time of the year."

"This time of the year?" Rukia mimicked searching each of the faces of the people around her in turn. Seeing the shame on Ichigo's face, and the embarrassment on the others', she gasped. "Wait! You don't mean!" She stammered around for a short while, "You-you're saying that-that Ichigo is—he's not just a Beta, he's—" She was trying her hardest to say it but her mouth just wouldn't form the words her mind was screaming.

So, Ichigo said it for her, deliberately not looking at anyone in the room and trying desperately to control the blush that painted his cheeks, "I'm in heat." A thud across the room told him that Rukia had passed out.

The sun dawned on Karakura Town, bright and semi-painful for a creature designed to live in a world of perpetual night. He adjusted quickly and stretched with a very feline style yawn. Rolling his shoulders and neck with a satisfying series of pops as he stood on the roof of the latest building he checked last night, he scowled out over the town. His prey's scent was everywhere. It infuriated him to no end that he couldn't sense his prey's reiatsu, though thinking about it in logical terms he wasn't all that surprised. A Beta's first instinct during Mating Season is to hide, so the idea that even though the berry never could mask his reiatsu before, for him to be able to eliminate it completely during this time of the year was normal for an Alpha-beta like him.

Following his nose the pursuer hopped down to the street level not caring if some of the Humans around him could see the hole and piece of bone that made it obvious he wasn't one of them. Inhaling deeply he took off in a methodical semi-run, zoning in on a house down a remote street. Several hours of searching later he approached his target. The glass paneled clinic opened on a street that could hardly be classified as more than an alley, but the house connected to it was quaint and smelled heavily of his prey.

"Oi! What do you want prowling around my house?" The 18-year-old grey-eyed tomboy had come up out of nowhere, though not completely taking the Arrancar by surprise. She blew a bubble with the gum she was chewing and deliberately popped it impatiently. When all the response she received was a quick glance, she drop-kicked the soccer ball she was carrying into his head.

"Hey!" He growled, catching the ball and puncturing it with his claws.

"I said, what are you doing prowling around my house?" She put her hands on her hips and tossed her head to trying futilely get her sweaty bangs out of her face.

"I'm lookin' fer someone. Not that you really need to know." He snorted throwing the partially deflated ball back at the girl harder than he thought she could catch it.

To his surprise not only did she catch it, upon touching her chest it was repaired in a flash of reiatsu without the girl ever touching the ball with her hands. "Ichi-nii's not here." She leveled him with a glare that made him connect the dots mentally.

"You're one of his brat sisters, ain't ya?" He crossed his arms over his chest, suspicious of this apparently talented Human—no, half-Shinigami. One of Aizen's spybots during the Winter War had recorded that bit of conversation. "Which one?"

At that moment, a blonde 16-yr-old copy of the dark haired Kurosaki standing in the road next to the Arrancar. "Karin-chan! Dinner's ready and Otousan said that your boyfriend can join us if he wants to." She was so clueless.

Fuming at the thought of dating the man that was obviously much too old to be her boyfriend, Karin stomped into the house, shouting and berating their father for his assumptions, and a flicker of concern at the sound of the man inside wailing at the abuse his daughter was piling on him crossed the other's features. Then he noticed that the other Kurosaki daughter was smiling at him and waiting for his response. "Uh, no thanks, I was just looking for someone."

"Nii-chan lives across town these days. He said it was because he needed to get away from Otousan, but I think it was because he was looking for someone too and didn't want his other friends to know about it." Ok, maybe she wasn't so clueless. "Sayonara, Arrancar-san, I hope you find him soon." She bowed lightly and went back inside leaving the ex-Espada staring after her dumbfounded. It almost sounded like she wanted him to find the berry-Beta.

He scoffed, scratching the back of his head, and he started off in the direction the blonde girl had pointed at a leisurely walk. He didn't really have time to waste, as every day he didn't find the delicious Beta was one more day where one of the other Alphas looking for him could mark him as their own. However, the sound of worry in the pacifist Kurosaki-twin gave him something to think about that he hadn't before—the possibility that he wouldn't have to fight Berry-Beta's friends and family for his right as Alpha.

It took most of the day for the Arrancar Alpha to cross the town distracted as he was by the thoughts the blonde Kurosaki had triggered, and as such, when he unconsciously followed the scent of his intended, yes, he'd decided that much already, it was something of a surprise when Ulquiorra was waiting for him on the front steps of the building. Taking in the sight of the pale ex-Cuatro, for the moment outside of his gigai, the Sexta grunted.

"He is currently holed up at the Urahara Shoten. The other Alphas in the area and I felt it best if he was protected until either you showed up or he was driven to the point of settling for second best." Without further words the Demonic Arrancar left, he pace unhurried and his face unreadable.

"Oi! Whadya mean 'til I showed up?" He tried to call after his 'brother', but all he received was a dismissive wave of the other's hand.

Growling at needing to once again cross the confounded town, almost back to where he had first left the Garganta, the panther took off at top speed, hoping to reach his target before moonrise and the onslaught of what the full moon would bring. He was almost too late.

As he arrived at the window of the Shoten, he found the berry lay curled around his pillow, unconsciously rutting it, and groaning in a fever that had only gotten worse as the sun set. Instantly he crossed the threshold and stood over the suffering Beta.

Honey-turned-gold eyes, soaked in lust and pain, bore into his own with a flash of disbelief. "Y-yer a fever dream…n-not r-real." The voice was raspy and panting, strained by the weight of having put off the heat for so long.

"No, Kitten, I'm real, and I'm so sorry." He knelt down, stroking his clawed fingers over the fevered skin that had begun to show the red stripes of the death berry's first Hollow mask under his left eye.

"Gr-Grimm!" Ichigo growled out, the touch dissolving the last threads of his self-control and pride. He no longer cared who heard, who felt, or who was affected by his condition as his immensely powerful reiatsu exploded out from the tortured body, shredding his clothes.

Grimmjow was rocked back onto his heels from the force. Shit! He'd known the berry was strong, but even in this advanced stage of the heat he still had enough to flatten even some of the weaker Arrancar. This discovery made his normally icy-blue eyes glint with pride and lust, and his signature grin split his face. This powerful Beta had chosen Him! Had waited for Him! Had endured the agony of heat unfulfilled, all for Him! The panther wasn't sure which twitched bigger, his pride or his cock.

**~*~Here there be smut!~*~**

Taking the moment that Grimmjow had rocked back as an assent, Ichigo climbed quickly into the slightly larger framed male's lap. He purred deeply, his reiatsu wrapping, mingling and invading the other's as his lips began mapping the planes of the Sexta's chest. As he fully laid himself out on top of the other, he unconsciously ground his painfully hard erection against the bulge in Grimmjow's hakama, earning a groan of pleasure as a reward.

Instinct was completely flooding the Visored's mind, as the three beings within his mindscape merged into the true hybrid that they were. As much Shinigami as Hollow as Zanpakutou, and somehow still able to be seen and interact with Humans on their level that could only be truly traced back to his episodes with the Fullbringers. His nails were short claws, teasing and pricking at Grimmjow's hierro. His hair, brushing his neck had translucent and dark brown strands in it, making it glitter and shift in a way that had the panther's claws entwined in the alluring tresses before he even knew what he was doing. And his eyes! Amber and honey with flecks of liquid gold, darkened at the moment and half lidded as he continued his rut against his chosen Alpha.

Just as Grimmjow thought he'd drown in those liquid metal flecks, something snapped as his own instincts were triggered by his Beta's incredible reiatsu. He Released without speaking, the white plating appearing as white fur, and leaving his hakama and jacket behind.

The panther knew the hybrid was female, and that the female had initiated the Mating Ritual. That was all that mattered. Foreplay was something that was ignored in situations like this, and before either could breathe another moan the hybrid found himself on his back, his legs spread wide and the shreds of his human clothing stripped from him. The panther only took a moment to admire his mate-to-be before diving in with teeth and arousal. No preparation was needed at this time of the year, and both instinctual beasts knew it as the tip of the panther's barbed cock pressed against the hybrid's twitching entrance. A sinful moan tore from the hybrid's lips and he ground his entrance further against his Alpha.

The head slipped in and both panted out a growl as the penetration began the second phase of the Ritual. Any semblance of Humanity was now gone, and the two rutted, moaning and growling like the animals they were. All too quickly their reiatsu meshed fully, and brought both to a shattering climax that affected all of the Hollow-tainted in the area; Hollows, Fullbringers, and Visoreds alike. Even a few of the Humans and Shinigami were struck by the wave of ecstasy.

Phase Three came on the peak of the reiatsu wave, as Grimmjow, finally beginning to come back to himself, sank his fangs into the side of Ichigo's neck, where the pulse pounded, and the subsequent pain brought another, more gentle, release between them. Blood spilled over the former-Shinigami's blankets, and stained the white whiskers of the Pantera.

**~*~Here ends smut (for the moment)~*~**

Panting, moaning, and shivering in aftershocks, Ichigo clung so tightly to Grimmjow that his claws actually pierced the Alpha's hide to make ten pin prick beads of blood further stain his fur. The horrible, mind-numbing fever had ebbed. It wasn't fully gone, but it was relieved for the moment. Somewhere within him the thought occurred that it would take more than one mating session to fully eliminate his heat because of how long he'd waited.

He blinked his eyes, not able to focus on the room around him, but the muted sunlight no longer burned his vision as badly. He was vaguely aware that he'd passed out for a while, because the body above him was still passed out. His voice croaked, as his screaming and moaning had abused the chords, "G-Grimm?" He nuzzled the tan cheek buried next to his own, and the strong, well-muscled arms held him tightly in response.

The ex-Espada nuzzled him back and he hissed in pain as the feline's nose bumped his Mark. The sound brought the blunette back to reality and the sight of the rapidly darkening Mark right in front of his nose triggered the other set of instincts he carried as a feline. He gently licked the wound, his saliva easing the pain like a cool salve. "I know it hurts, Kitten, but only for a little while. Then it'll be much, much better." Each word was punctuated with a lick of his sandpaper-like tongue.

"Mmmm." Ichigo closed his eyes, tilting his head to the opposite side to allow Grimmjow more access. It was already feeling like Heaven to have his Alpha…HIS Alpha! His eyes went wide at the thought. His body tensed as the all-too-Human trains of thought returned.

The Sexta smirked and nuzzled him, purring. "Yah! You're mine! Yah never hafta run anymore." His voice was like crushed velvet and it immediately had a soothing effect on Ichigo that Shiro quickly encouraged. The closer and more thoroughly the Alpha and Beta connected after the Ritual, the longer and more powerful the bond between the two could get.

Shiro, inside of Ichigo's head, and the first of the personalities to be released into his own consciousness again, quickly got to the task of feeding the bond between the mates by encasing his own personal reiatsu around and through the bond. To the outside world, they would be Two, but in here? The four of them would be One! Wait! What was that?

The twisted albino stalked down the side of a building towards a desert oasis that had cropped up next to and around the Lake of Grief. Lush jungle partially hid the water form view, symbolically showing that the water would never be the focus of the mindscape ever again, but that was not what had drawn the almost Demonic-like Hollow to the place of green growth and life.

There! A streak of blue and white! It couldn't be! Only the strongest of the strongest Arrancar had Zanpakutou that were more than just swords, holding reiatsu, but as suddenly as that thought crossed the bleached soul, he knew there could be no other explanation. This was Pantera!

Crooning lightly to his Alpha's counterpart, he almost lay down submissively before SHE appeared on her back and radiating a light he'd never seen before up at him. He took a deep breath and came closer, slowly, in case the show of submission was simply a peace-offering. The blue and white panther never moved. She was in a word; stunning. Covered from neko-style ears to tail in soft, silky fur, dotted with faint spots as the feral versions often were. She was naturally bare of fur on her face and surprisingly down her front, though modestly covered by an obi sash wrapped around her chest, and hakama similar to Grimmjow's on her well-formed hips.

"You're…you're female!" Shiro finally choked out. His gold-on-black eyes going wide as the female before him squirmed up to him to bump and rub her cheek against his leg.

"I am not the only Zanpakutou to be the opposing gender for their Master. What would the others say if they knew that you were so weak, my Alpha?" She purred, snaking her delicate paw up the leg of his hakama to caress his calf.

"Al-Alpha?" Shiro squeaked. He knew he wasn't a Beta, but it was rather off-putting right after mind-blowing sex that he was to be given the opportunity to take the sword spirit as his Beta. It made the analytical portion of his consciousness that often resided solely in Zangetsu wonder if that meant that the Mating would work both ways. If so, that could become extremely interesting for his King and the King's Alpha.

**~*~Here there be more smut!~*~**

The panther, emulating her Master's Beta quite well, slipped over onto her belly and crawled up the white hybrid's body, dragging her breasts along his exposed skin, and purring the whole time. Unconsciously, he wrapped his arms around her and drank in her reiatsu like fresh air after a year in space. He fluttered, uncharacteristically soft kisses along her jaw. In this world the actual act of rutting could be hazardous to their Masters' bodies, but also cause complications with the previously formed bond. Both could wait, now that the heat had been abated. They would be more aggressive when it returned. So, for the time being, Pantera resolved herself to jacking her Alpha off, and giving into a pleasure neither had known he was able to give, using her tail and his thumb dipped into her hakama. It was gentle, full of the emotion Humans call love, and both came softly, sending a minor pleasure spike through the physical bodies of their Masters. This was sealed with a heated kiss on both levels.

**~*~Thus end the smut (sorry it's so short)~*~**

Both couples held tight to their counterparts, purring and nuzzling, enjoying the falling twilight and the contentment that comes of fully being satiated. Even Zangetsu was quite satisfied, though he had merely been an observer in both sessions.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Gone

Shiro woke first to the emptiness surrounding him and tensed immediately, sending his reiatsu out to find Pantera. Though the bond was still there, he found that she was gone! This sent shockwaves of a fear that only could be described as panic into his King, thereby disturbing his own slumber.

Ichigo entered his mindscape, sleepy, and obviously pulled from a dream, as his unruly hair stuck up even more and he was yawning. "Whatsa matter, 'Ro?" His speech slurred with exhaustion, the last month had been Hell on the death berry, and he hadn't even begun to catch up the sleep he'd lost due to the heat.

"She's gone!" Shiro grabbed him and shook him violently once before Ichigo was fully awake and able to push back.

"Who's gone?" Ichigo tilted his head, and then turned to take in the jungle and the change of the shade of blue of the sky, now it perfectly matched Grimm's eyes.

Shiro attempted to shake him again, "Pantera! She's gone!" The normally composed, and downright smug Hollow was frazzled and Ichigo frowned as he took in the other's appearance. His eyes asked, and Shiro answered without the question being spoke aloud. "My mate! Blue's Zanpakutou. She had me take 'er! And now she's gone!"

Ichigo seemed to gather the clarity to understand what was going on at that point and looked around more in earnest this time. Though the mindscape had physically changed very little outside of the sudden outburst of greenery, but that wasn't completely out of line since he'd promised both spirits some gardens before and had never been able to produce them the way he liked. Eventually his eyes rested on Zangetsu.

"Oi, Ojiisan, you seem pretty calm about all of this. What's yer perspective?" The orangette tried to send out the same kind of soothing waves of reiatsu the Pain in the Ass had used on him at various times during his heat. It had a marginal effect, mostly because Ichigo was still so weakened by his turmoil.

"I had thought that perhaps the young lady had returned to her Master's mindscape for the time being, but if Shiro-san cannot sense her at all, then I fear we have an even larger problem on our hands." Stepping down from his flagpole, the eldest of the three spirits gathered the two younger into an embrace, more with his shihakusho than his arms, and the three unconsciously leaned in together to touch foreheads. The rumbling voice of the sword continued, "Perhaps, Ichigo, you should rouse your body from its slumber and determine the status of the Living World?" A small shudder unconsciously ran through the orangette, but he was answered with a purr and the assurance that both would be right behind him, watching through the glass of the building.

His eyes fluttered open and the amber orbs widened as he took in the absence of the reiatsu who'd saved him from his fever dreams. Sitting upright fast enough to tumble all of the blankets to the floor, he took in the whole room with a single sweeping glare. It just couldn't have been a dream! But there, in front of his eyes and senses, there was no blue panther, and no trace that he'd ever been inside the room at the Shoten where Ichigo had agreed to wait out the rest of his heat.

He dressed quickly, panic slowly clutching his heart in ways he didn't know he could feel, as all three pieces of his soul feared for the fate of their Mate. He didn't even bother with underwear, socks, or a shirt, merely pulling his miraculously repaired jeans on over his somehow not painful behind, and crashed through the paper screen door separating his room from the common area at the back of the store.

"Where is he!" He practically screamed at the gathered Shinigami and Visoreds. His reiatsu swept across them like a canine searching for a scent. Not finding the one he wanted, he growled low and made a dash for the door of the shop. The only one of the crowd able to overcome his shock was Shinji.

"Where is who, Ichigo?" The blonde looked worried as he gathered the orangette's face in his hands to read the wildly searching eyes of the younger Visored.

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo cried, and literally felt his heart beginning to break. His soul was missing something, and no one seemed to know what was going on.

Kisuke frowned over his tea, and the others gathered looked on as Shinji frowned even deeper in worry. "Ichigo, why would Grimmjow be here?"

Trying to tear himself from his Pack Leader's grasp, Ichigo whined. "He's my mate! He's my Alpha! Where is he?" he began to dissolve into broken breaths, his eyes stinging almost as much as his chest.

The Shinigami, unaccustomed to the wildly erratic behavior of one they regarded as the strongest among them, shifted in their seats. Renji caught Byakuya's eye, and the fear played between the crimson and raven regarding the orangette didn't need to be spoken out loud. Kisuke quickly gestured that Tessai should get his strongest healing kido ready, and Shinji tried desperately to bring the distraught berry back to the realm of sanity.

The orangette stubbornly refused to be calmed by any other than the one he'd chosen, and so Tessai released the kido, immediately knocking the death berry back into unconsciousness. The collected group breathed a sigh of relief as the wild reiatsu dissipated with the removal of Ichigo.

"Grimmjow, huh?" Renji was the first to speak, fingering his cup gently.

Next to him, on the other side to Byakuya, Rukia sighed deeply. "How long has it been, Urahara-san?"

"Almost a month, Rukia-san." The shopkeeper drank from his tea sadly.

Shinji rejoined the group, sitting between Kisuke and Hiyori, who was next to Rukia. This left a place for Tessai to sit between Byakuya and Kisuke. The blonde rubbed his temples. "If we could just find that damned panther, or the demon, or any of them damned Arrancars!"

"So the reports are correct?" Byakuya spoke for the first time since the group had been called together, a few hours before Ichigo's awakening. "Even the Gargantas from here will not reach Hueco Mundo?"

Both blondes shook their heads and all three Shinigami pursed their lips in thought. Nothing like this had ever happened before. Of course, never had a wave of such pure reiatsu swept the three worlds as what had happened when Grimmjow finally claimed Ichigo as his mate. It had been almost a month since then, and the strange disappearance of the Hollows weighed heavily on everyone's mind.

Ichigo was quickly descending into a constant state of madness. Shinji and the Visoreds called it "Mating Sickness". Literally to regain his sanity, Ichigo needed his Mate's reiatsu, but none of the Visoreds had ever seen it this bad. When they were first discovering the animalistic needs of their inner Hollows they had mistakeningly assumed that sex would solve the issue, but when Lisa had practically torn Mashiro to pieces for cuddling up to Kensei the day after he mated with the dark-haired Visored female, the group had come to the conclusion that it was more than just physical lust. Shinji and Love had to take her to Kisuke bound in Hachi's strongest kido. With them though, the Sickness wore off after a few days of cuddling and being close to the one they mated with, even if that person wasn't a Visored. Though, they had to be careful with that. At least Kensei and Shinji had children with Human women, who had been convenient during mating season almost 75 years ago. Both children had crossed over with their mothers to the Soul Society successfully, but it had been touch and go for a little while to see which half the child took after and whether they would have the same Hollow-type issues. Since then, they only mated with each other, except for Hachi, who was a Beta but seemingly asexual as his Hollow was an Alpha, and Hiyori, who seemed to never age from the pre-adolescent size she'd been as a Shinigami therefore never reaching Hollow adulthood.

But none of the Visoreds had ever developed the kinds of markings that Ichigo now sported. His left cheek was permanently stained with the lines of red from his first Hollow mask, and on the right side of his neck a backwards "6" in thick, black, gothic style, just like that of an Espada, had appeared where a huge, almost black bruise had been the morning after the Mating.

The next time Ichigo woke again, almost two weeks later, there was a distinct calm to his features for about ten seconds. Then Kisuke, who had been monitoring the berry this morning, watched as his face became an ominous shade of pale green. His jaw clenched and he stared at the ceiling, not moving a single muscle. A second later the shopkeeper had a waste basket in front of the ailing Visored, who promptly emptied the minimal amount of food he had in his stomach into the can.

"Feeling better?" Kisuke asked with the faint hint of a sympathetic smile. Honey brown eyes flecked with gold looked up with a level of pain that Kisuke hadn't known for a very long time. "I know it hurts, Berry-chan." He brushed his long fingers through the orangette's bangs, and the tears began to well up in those tortured eyes. So, he knelt down and did something he would never have done had Ichigo been in his right mind; he pulled the orange head to his chest and simply held the boy. "Shh. I know. I may not have the same needs as a Visored, but I know that having your other half gone isn't easy for any race."

His words resounded through Ichigo's inner world, where Shiro and Ichigo had allowed their body to work on auto pilot. The two sides to the same coin looked out through the glass in one of the buildings from under the safety of the ledge where Zangetsu posed on his flagpole as rain came down in sheets all around them. The old man was currently sheltering them with his haori, as all three factions of the young hybrid knew exactly why he was sick.

After being knocked unconscious again by Tessai, Shiro and Zangetsu had kept Ichigo's consciousness within their shared mindscape rather than the deceptive dreams that caused a repetitive cycle of waking, re-discovering their missing mates, and the subsequent Mating Sickness. This allowed his body to actually relax, and made it easier for the others on the outside to care for him. It also allowed Ichigo to share his burden of pain with the only other being that felt the gaping hole where his mate should have been. Between them, Shiro and Ichigo drew closer, filling their missing halves with each other since one was Beta and the other Alpha. No longer did Ichigo think of his 'twin' as a Pain in the Ass, and all of Shiro's games seemed pointless now that the Sexta and his Zanpakutou were gone.

When the reiatsu drain of the last several months of heat had ebbed to a constant minor siphon the twins began investigating their inner world more thoroughly. So, it came as no small surprise when Zangetsu brought a bundle of brand new reiatsu to the mourning pair.

Watching the scene of the shopkeeper comforting the distraught body of the three souls drew their collective thoughts back to the day they discovered the precious bubble.

_ "Ojiisan, what's that?" Ichigo inquired tiredly, from his place pillowed on Shiro's chest. The pair sat up curious when the third said nothing, merely sat next to them. The better part of what constituted as a day in their mindscape had been spent trying to find the reiatsu siphon._

_ The bundle was pulsing in teal and red with flashes of white and was no bigger than a basketball. All three watched it as it pulsed, like a heartbeat. Ichigo was the first to react, reaching his hand out to touch the delicate ball, and immediately saw the effects. The ball drew on his reiatsu, pulling more red and white into itself._

_ "Huh." Was the only noise he made._

_ "King?" Shiro inquired when he didn't continue, and Zangetsu raised an eyebrow over his glasses._

_ Still staring in wonder, "I thought I would be more panicked about this."_

_ The other two nodded._

Sighing, Ichigo drew them out of reverie, ghosting his hand across his middle, where the ball liked to rest now that they'd connected to each other. It wasn't visible anymore, but all three could feel it. After a few more seconds, Ichigo sighed again, drawing his counterparts attention. The rain let up, just a little.

"I think we need to move forward." His voice was strangely calm. "The Little One needs us. If we want her to be born healthy, we need to start taking care of our body. It'll be up to you two to feed her the reiatsu she needs until Gr-_he_ gets back and can do it himself." His voice threatened to give out at the mention of his name. He really didn't want to leave the security and comfort of his mindscape, but all three of them knew he was right. The Little One wouldn't be able to grow properly if he didn't keep his reiatsu up, and being still alive meant that he had to feed his Human body. The last two weeks kept apart from the Living World, but surrounded by the transplanted jungle had broken the cycle of Mating Sickness. The pain was no less, the longing and sheer _wrongness_ of the situation remained just as sharp as it had all of the times he had been roused from sleep since Grimmjow had disappeared, but no longer was their mental status threatened by insanity. So, with one last profound embrace among the three, Ichigo dissolved from his mindscape, leaving the bundle that was now mostly red and white in the capable hands of Zangetsu and Shiro.

Kisuke immediately noticed the difference in his student when Ichigo's consciousness came back to the forefront. He sat back, ignoring the wet spot on the front of his yukata, watching Ichigo for a few moments while the other wiped his face off with a corner of the blanket. Neither spoke of the hybrid's moment of despair.

Ichigo looked up and smiled, but though his scowl was not present, the smile did not reach his eyes. "Urahara-san, could w-I have a cup of ginger root tea with a squeeze of m-mint?" His voice was rough from disuse, and Kisuke had never heard Ichigo ever use honorifics like that.

"Of course, Berry-chan." Concern crossed the blonde man's face as he got up to get the tea, leaving the younger man to get dressed.

Upon exiting Ichigo's room, Kisuke was met by the concerned faces of Rukia, Shinji and Yoruichi. He waved them to follow him into the kitchen, where he proceeded to brew the tea. Silence stretched among the group, weighing heavily until he dropped the spoon a little harshly on the counter. All four of them jumped at the sound, and stared at the offending object as though it had done it on purpose. The painful aura in the air was something they had all become accustomed to in the last month, but when a hand, not attached to any of the gathered four took the spoon and cup, all the group could do was stare.

"Arigato, Urahara-san." Ichigo bowed lightly, taking his tea and exiting the Shoten to sit on the low wall and feel the breeze. The fresh air calmed his stomach some even before he sipped his tea.

With his exit, he seemed to have broken the tension. "What the hell!" Rukia exclaimed.

"He just woke up, was ill for a few minutes, then asked for tea." Kisuke shrugged.

Shinji watched where his packmate had gone, and asked, "Do you think he's gotten over the Mating Sickness? It took him longer, but he did mate a full Hollow."

"I don't know, but I don't think that is what has happened. I think it's more that something else has drawn out his resolve." The shopkeeper sighed and carried the rest of the tea to the table where they all had shared far too many silent meals over the last month and a half. Once all four were sitting, Kisuke continued, "When he came out of himself, the look in his eyes reminded me of the Winter War." He glanced around at the solemn faces, "He has steeled himself to see this through…again."

"But what will this do to him? We all saw his breakdown after losing his powers." Rukia bit her lip. "Nii-sama—" She hesitated. "He suggested maybe we should take him to Seireitei? That maybe, being surrounded by his closest friends will make it easier."

Shinji hmm'd. "It may help, but the Hollow within him won't be content, and that could be dangerous, given how powerful he is." He was very quick to hold his hands up. "Yare! I don't mean to sound like Yama-jii, but we all know what he's like when he loses control, ya?" The blonde Visored tried to crack his signature smile but he could tell that none at the table were really offended by his words.

For the next few moments they all sat and contemplated their tea, but then Rukia looked up, "Hey, Urahara-san, where's Yoruichi-sama?" The two males looked and quite obviously the feline speed goddess was missing.

Outside, with his eyes closed soaking in the sun and the wind and yukata open to expose his pale skin to the same elements, Ichigo heard the soft fwoosh of Shunpo and cracked an eye at the Flash Goddess, now perched next to him on the wall, without bothering to remove his hand from his lower abdomen or stop the small circles he was stroking with his thumb on the bared flesh. There really wasn't any change there; still the same hard, toned muscles and soft skin, but both parties knew it wouldn't stay that way for long.

"So…?" Yoruichi started.

"_Hai._" Ichigo closed his eyes again and silence stretched between them for a moment. "_Hmm. The sun feels good. Warm. Like a blanket._"

"How long?" The feline female moved to sit next to him.

Frowning for a moment as he conferred with his inner selves, "_Six weeks._" He paused his motions for a moment to take a drink of his well cooled tea. "_It's odd, don't you think? We discuss time in terms of days, or months, or years, but when talking about something like this we count in weeks. It seems strange._"

Yoruichi made a noncommittal noise and swung her feet trying to find something to say. Cocky, reckless, headstrong, ruthless, angry, even possessed Ichigo she knew how to talk to, but this resolved, peaceful person sitting next to her was a stranger. Someone she had never been able to really understand or get close to when he had adopted the mindset before.

"_You can tell them if you want. I don't care if it's a secret._" His voice cut through her thoughts and she just watched him curiously mimicking her feline half. He chuckled at the sight, then resumed enjoying the sunset. "_It's all w-I have left of him, why would I be ashamed of it?_"

"You're just taking this so much better than I would have expected, Berry-chan." She smiled wistfully. "Perhaps you've grown up."

He actually laughed at that, but it literally sounded Hollow, and it was then that she noticed why his voice sounded odd, it was duplicated, echo-like, and it sent chills down her spine. "Uh..?" She asked with a small frown.

"_Yeah, that too._" He finally turned and looked right at her with both eyes, one was his normal chocolate/amber mix, but the other—his left—was inverted, black sclera and liquid gold iris. Since his secret was out, he laughed a bit more openly. "_We suppose it wasn't going to be long before we were discovered. We have an arrangement. We are stronger like this. We can handle the pain better. We don't suppose that you'd be able to just leave us to our devices, ne?_"

"I—I don't know what to say. Are—are you—I mean—Shiro? Ichigo? What do we call you? Can we trust you? Are you possessed?" The questions almost came out before she could filter them.

"_We don't really know, but we are not possessed._" Internally half of him cackled at the thought. Then he sat up further, letting his yukata and eyes fall closed and for a moment was silent. When he looked at Yoruichi again both of his eyes were normal color but filled with a longing and pain that the feline could hardly bear. "I cannot survive like this, Yoruichi-sama. I need him to hold me up. Without Shiro, I cannot face the world. This time without—" He looked off at the fading light. "It's like half of my soul is missing. Like I'm standing and suddenly one of my legs is gone. Shiro is the crutch I use to stand. It is so much more painful than when I had to endure losing my reiatsu. Even though I didn't know I would be able to get my powers back, I still knew somewhere in my heart that when I died Ojiisan and Shiro would be waiting for me. I knew that we'd be together again eventually, but this?" He closed his eyes tightly, willing the burning to subside. "I don't know what's happened. All of our instincts are screaming at us that this is wrong, that something has happened. H-he would never abandon me. My instincts tell me that, and touching his Mark," He gestured to the backwards 6 on his neck, "lets me know that he truly is my mate. I just don't understand why he can't come to me. I Call and I Call, but he can't answer."

The feline female frowned for a moment, before the orangette had returned to consciousness they had decided not to tell him about the troubles regarding getting into Hueco Mundo, but it seemed that the Visored already had some idea about it. So she did what she usually does, and bit the bullet. "No one can establish a successful Garganta." He gasped and looked at her, both eyes wide as the sclera of his left began to bleed black again. She continued, "The Soul Society has had some—losses in trying to establish one. Furthermore, no Hollow of any level, not even Ulquiorra or Nel have been seen since the night of your mating."

His throat closed and it took Shiro to get out, "**A-Aizen?**"

Yoruichi shook her head. "No, there has been no change from him in the Maggot's Nest, and he has 'round the clock surveillance. If he had managed to do anything it would have happened as soon as we caught him, not now, four years later." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the ground, which Ichigo found a bit amusing as the move was quite familiar to him.

His voice broke through her thoughts again, "Who's been lost?"

"Kurotsuchi and most of the Science Division. The fool thought that if he and his team forced the thing open that they could make it through, but their transmitters never made it into Hueco Mundo. Yamamoto has reinstated Kisuke as taicho for the moment. There is a half-hearted hope that Kurotsuchi will return, but I'm sure you understand that not everyone shares that sentiment." She flashed him one of her signature smirks, and he found himself able to mirror it at the idea that the psychotic scientist had met a gruesome end.

As the sun dipped lower, casting shadows on the place where they were sunbathing, Ichigo's hybrid voice broke the easy silence. "I think I'd like to go home. My father and sisters should be the first to know." His left hand was once again tucked inside his yukata, brushing the skin there with his fingertips, though Yoruichi was uncertain as to whether it as Ichigo or Shiro that was controlling the motion.

"Alright." The Flash Goddess hopped off of the wall. "I'll keep Kisuke and the others busy while you make your getaway." She grinned over her shoulder as she sauntered off towards the Shoten. Though her outward appearance belied her concern. The orangette hadn't even noticed that she'd shifted from her feline form to sit with him, meaning he hadn't reacted at all to her nudity. Things were definitely different with everyone's favorite substitute Shinigami. She turned to watch him leave once the shadows of the doorway concealed her. He appeared to be arguing with himself, though more probably arguing with Shiro.

"He'll be alright, Yoruichi." The soft voice of Byakuya broke through her thoughts. "That young man has more inner strength than the entire Gotei 13."

"Coming from you, Bya-bo, I believe it, but that doesn't mean that he deserves to have to use it. I can only imagine what kind of turmoil is going through that pretty orange head of his." She turned again, and looked up at her childhood friend, a little surprised that he wore none of the objects of his station. "When did you get here anyway?"

"A few moments before he left." As tight lipped as always, the Sixth's captain moved further into the Shoten.

Gathered around the low table was the group from earlier, though Renji had obviously accompanied his lover. The redhead and Rukia were in the middle of a heated argument about something or other that made Yoruichi's eyebrow raise. She met Kisuke's gaze and he shook his head from behind his fan. Shinji similarly rolled his eyes and sucked his teeth.

"I don't care how stubborn or hard-headed he thinks he is! He's gotta learn ta lean on us." Renji huffed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Ya'd've thought he'd've learned that after the War. He doesn't always have ta be that high and mighty savior he keeps tryin' ta be."

"But this is very personal for him, baka!" Rukia smacked her lifelong friend across the head with a sketchbook that seemingly appeared from nowhere.

He ducked, rubbing the sore spot, "Oi! Wicked woman! Why would he rather be around you? Yer violent!"

Rukia looked quite satisfied, "Because he's known me longer. I'm sure he's—"

"Gone." Byakuya cut through his sister's rambling, and drew the attention of everyone in the room.

"He shouldn't be out there by himself." Shinji growled, glaring at the stoic brunette. "If there's a more stupid idea I can't come up with it. Especially at a time like this." The blonde made to stand up, but a hand on his arm held him in place.

The new object of Shinji's glare waved his fan in front of his face. "Shinji-koi, perhaps his instincts are just as refined as yours?"

"So? He's a Beta! A newly mated Beta! How do we know if he even knows?" Shinji was grasping at straws, but everything within him told him that his packmate should not be out there alone without his mate. His inner hollow screamed that he should go and cloister the younger Visored so nothing would happen to him. Only the touch of his own current mate kept his instincts in check. Mate versus packmate always won out in the end.

Oblivious to the internal struggle between the blondes, the rest watched as the tension in Shinji's frame was exhaled in a single irritated snort. "Fine, but so help me if something happens I'll let Shiro go feral on you, Kissu."

The shopkeeper, and Twelfth division captain, fluttered his fan to cover the paling of his features. He chuckled as though the threat was empty, and took a drink of his tea. Both of them ignored the confusion from the three Shinigami visitors.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/B:** Just a small note: _**This is Shiro inside Ichi's head.** __This is Ichi and Shiro __speaking out loud together (except for one instance where it's Zangetsu speaking within Ichi's mind)._** This is Shiro speaking out loud. **And when both are arguing with each other it's sort of a LOTR Gollum reference; looking to the right is Shiro, looking to the left is Ichi, it's all about which eye is facing his family.

* * *

Chapter 4 - Family

"Onii-chan, are you sure this is something you want to do?" Her soft voice was tainted with worry.

He looked up from where he was setting the table. The stove made the small house hot in spite of the weather outside, and the spikes of his hair stuck to his forehead. Setting the pile of plates down, he used the back of his wrist to wipe the offending strands back. "Yuzu, it's not like that." He couldn't hold her worried gaze any longer, so he glared at the disks as though the swirls of porcelain held all of the secrets and troubles of the universe.

"Then what is it like? Otou-san and Karin-chan just gloss over all of this stuff like I'm not going to be able to understand." She put her delicate hands on her slim hips and altogether looked like the little mother she'd been since their own died. In one of her fists she clutched the wooden spoon she'd been using to stir the curry on the stove so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

He bit his lip, looking up at her and trying to take her in, to find something of the little sister he'd always known. "I'm sorry, Yu-chan. We tend to forget that you're just as strong as the rest of us." He shook his head and sighed. "Sometimes I think you're stronger than the rest of us. I don't know how you do it every day, you know?" He took a seat next to the stack of plates, and his breath escaped his lips without conscious thought.

**_Easy, Aibou. I'm here._** Shiro's voice echoed in his head, and placed a hand over his forehead, closing his eyes with a mental smile of gratitude.

"Onii-chan?" Unbeknownst to him, Yuzu had crossed to the other side of the table to sit where she could look at him. She could tell something was bothering him ever since he got home half an hour ago. It'd been six weeks since she'd last seen him, and the physical additions on his neck and face had been a shock. But she accepted them. To her it didn't matter what he looked like on the outside, whether he was getting tattoos or letting his hair grow longer, he was still her Onii-chan, and that was all that mattered. The two met eyes when she reached out to touch his hand, and she watched with no small amount of fear as his left eye inverted.

"_You know about Hollows and Shinigami now right, Yuzu?_" His voice echoed slightly. At her nod he continued. "_I am what is called a Visored. I have a Hollow inside of me. He's not dangerous, not like the ones that Rukia and I fight regularly, and he helps me. He's the reason that I've been away for so long. There's other stuff going on, but I want to wait until Goat Face and Karin are here. Okay?_"

Yuzu tilted her head to the side for a moment and frowned, seeming to consider something. "I only have one question, Onii-chan."

"_Yeah?_" His stomach clenched, the chill of fear worming its way through Shiro's defenses.

"If you're a boy, and your Hollow is a boy, how come you're pregnant?" Her face had none of the fear from a moment ago, and though her expression was similar to his signature scowl, confusion and interest were all that he could read from her reiatsu.

However, he was too dumbfounded to comment on that. "H-how did you know!" He gripped the table and licked his lips nervously. He hadn't even said it out loud to himself yet.

"I don't know, but I think it's like you and Karin being able to see ghosts. I know she's there, even though I can't see her." She smiled then, looking completely innocent, in spite of being 18.

Unconsciously both of Ichigo's hands cupped the lack of bump beneath his navel. The reiatsu curled between the Old Man and Pain in the Ass pulsed at the motion. He still stared at his younger sister, the one everyone thought was going to be 'normal', Human in every sense of the word until she died. Memories played out in his mind, scenes of Yuzu seemingly knowing things or making comments that just didn't quite add up at the time. He had assumed that she was just being oblivious, unable to comprehend the world around her but affected by it nonetheless. Now he wasn't so sure. Perhaps her ability to know in an instant what each family member needed _was_ her power.

"_How long have you been able to do this sort of thing, Yu-chan?_" His voice echoed a bit as Shiro paid more attention as well.

"Oh, I don't know. Since about the time that I discovered Bostov-nii running around pretending to be you a couple of years ago. He tried, and I love him too, but nobody can replace you, Onii-chan." She smiled brightly then and internally both sides of Ichigo groaned.

However, just as he was about to ask another question the front door banged open and Karin's voice cut through their discussion. "Lay off, Goat Face! You never grilled Ichi-nii this bad!" The dark haired Kurosaki twin stormed into the kitchen, her clothes torn and rumpled, the baseball cap she still wore sometimes was missing, and a smudge of dirt on her face was tinted with the dark brown of dried blood. She also had the beginnings of a black eye and held all of her weight on her left leg, her right one cocked slightly at the knee to avoid putting too much pressure on an ankle that was already turning purple.

"Karin, it doesn't matter what I did or didn't do with Ichigo, you are not supposed to be out there hunting on your own. You know that! It's why Jinta and Ururu were transferred to your school." Their father, looking slightly more ragged than he used to, followed the girl closely. He'd discarded his office coat already, and was in the process of removing his tie.

"But I don't need them! Toshi's taught me everything I need to know. More than Ichi-nii had when he was younger than me! He still doesn't know how to cast kido!" Karin raved, grabbing a juice box from the fridge.

Isshin slammed his hand on the table, crushing the tie. It wasn't often the Kurosaki children saw their father like this, but with Karin's behavior becoming more and more reckless over the last year he was less the goofball he'd always been and more the kind of presence that made Ichigo truly believe he'd once captained a division of the Gotei 13. Just as he was about to say something else, the hybrid cut him off.

"Karin, you don't have a Zanpakutou yet. Your soccer ball and kido are great, better than mine for sure, but without a Zanpakutou all you're doing is injuring the Hollow enough for it to retreat. You can't truly defeat it." Both sets of dark eyes swung to look at the orange haired visitor. He swallowed, quickly standing from the table and half-smiling. "H-hey, Goat Face." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"OH MASAKI! OUR BELOVED SON HAS RETURNED TO GRACE US WITH HIS PRESENCE! AND HE'S BECOME SO MANLY WITH HIS FACIAL TATTOOS! COULD HE HAVE JOINED A GANG? WHAT SHALL WE DO, DEAR MASAKI?" Isshin wailed, flinging himself at Ichigo. If Shiro hadn't been half on the surface the orangette would have wound up on the floor. As it was, Shiro was able to make Ichigo's body swerve so that the older man fell on the floor face first. Thus, Goat Face bounced back up onto his feet, "VERY GOOD, ICHIGO! LIVING ALONE HASN'T DULLED YOUR SENSES!"

"**Geez, Old Man, what're ya tryin' ta do! Ya can't be doin' that sorta nonsense wi' Ichi no more!**" It was Ichigo's mouth that moved, but the voice was all Shiro.

This caused both of the brunettes to freeze. Isshin immediately dropped his act, frowning in a fair duplicate of his son's scowl. Coincidentally, Karin snagged her soccer ball from the hall and held it under her foot, also mimicking her older brother.

"Ah! Karin, Goat Face, relax!" Ichigo's eyes went wide, and he took a step or two back from the glowering Kurosakis. His left eye was still inverted, and he turned to that side, "Damnit, Shiro. You know that wasn't how we were going to deal with this."

He turned back to the right, Shiro speaking again, "**Sorry, Aibou, but yanno—the cub.**"

"I know, I know, but I could have handled it. Just because Gri—" Ichigo's normal voice hiccupped and for a moment his face crumpling with unspoken pain at the sound of his Alpha's name. He wrapped both arms around himself, oblivious to the concerned looks he was receiving.

A few seconds and he stood up straight again, hands at his sides, but his head still bowed so that his hair shadowed his face. "**Aibou needs a few minutes. I'mma keep lookin' at the floor so's I don' scare ya. It c'n be tough lookin' me in the eye, er so Aibou tells me. 'Rin-chan, could ja put the ball away? It's botherin' Aibou. He's worried yer gonna—**" His voice was echo-y and held a cold edge that didn't belong to the twins' brother, but he cut off and half tilted his head, as though listening to something. Then he murmured, "**A'ight I won't tell 'em, but ya gotta do it soon, Aibou. Puttin' off'll only make it harder. Yanno.**"

Yuzu was the only one to move when the person that appeared to be their brother stopped talking. She crossed between her sister and father to stand in front of him, effectively blocking any attack the two behind her could pull. She reached out and took the orangette's left arm, "Shiro-nii, it's ok. I won't let them hurt her." She bent to smile up into the inverted eyes.

"Yuzu," Isshin began, stepping closer to his youngest daughter. "Who is Shiro?" His voice was quiet, serious, and held the kind of edge that meant he would take no fooling around.

She smiled back at her father, "Shiro-nii is Onii-chan's inner Hollow, and he's not really scary, he's just protecting the baby."

Father and daughter blinked at the tawny haired female as though she'd grown a tail, or a second head that only spoke in riddles. Karin's voice seemed to work better after a few moments of fish mouthing, "'Zu, what the fuck?"

"Karin-chan, language!" Yuzu chided, waving her spoon at her sister. She put her hands on her hips, sporting a frown that made Isshin's heart clench in memory. "Both of you need to go get cleaned up, dinner will be ready in a moment, and the rest of this conversation can be held off until then." When both hesitated in leaving the girl alone with her brother, she made shooing motions with both hands, inadvertently wielding the spoon like a weapon.

Reluctantly both turned and left the kitchen. Once they were alone Ichigo flopped back into the chair at the table where he'd been talking to Yuzu before their interruption. He sighed deeply, closing both eyes and wrapping his arms around his ribs. When his little sister brought the big pot of curry to the table from the stove to serve the plates he smiled up at her.

"Thank you, Yuzu." His voice and eyes were back to normal, but Yuzu could tell Shiro was just under the surface, as he had been before.

"Of course, Onii-chan. Mei-chan is just as important as you are, and if Shiro-nii thought he needed to protect her then it's only right for me to help him, right?" She giggled and hauled the pot that had once been bigger than she was oh so long ago.

He continued to be amazed by the way his littlest sister had changed in just the few months it had been since he'd lived here full time. Within his mindscape, Shiro chirped, _**Yu-chan's pretty smart, Aibou. I like 'er.**_

Shaking his head, Ichigo was about to say something to her further when his father and other sister returned, now better put together. Isshin still wore his dress shirt and slacks, but the top few buttons were open, his belt and tie were gone, and he'd brushed the gel from his hair. Not that it stopped standing on end, but it wasn't as shiny. Karin had cleaned her face, placing a sticky bandage over the scrape, and changed out of her dirt-stained tee shirt and shorts into jeans and a tank top that showed off just how physically fit she was as compared to her sundress wearing twin.

Both sat opposite Ichigo, watching him closely. If the last four months, since his birthday, hadn't completely wiped him clean in ways that he'd only experienced once before he would have been more annoyed at their scrutiny. However, he found he just couldn't muster the energy to care. He met his father's gaze once before becoming fascinated with using his chopsticks to push the vegetables around on his plate.

"So, Ichigo…" His father began.

"Yuzu, could I have some plain rice please?" The Visored ignored his father for a moment, trying to keep his stomach's churning under control.

The tawny-haired twin smiled, "Of course, Onii-chan." She was gone to the sink with his plate and back again with a fresh serving of rice, slightly smaller than normal, and a cup of ginger root tea garnished with mint and lemon.

The medical professional in Kurosaki Isshin blinked in confusion, and the look of pure satisfaction on his normally disgruntled son's face made all of his continued questions double. He cleared his throat, attempting to be innocent. "Your mother preferred to brew the mint with the ginger before adding lemon and sugar." He appeared to be focused on his plate of curry, but was watching his son with a trained eye.

"Mmm. That's how Urahara-san did it, but I like both. As long as it makes the confounded nausea go away for a few moments I don't care how it's made." Ichigo purred over the mug, wrapping both long-fingered hands around the warmth. He knew he was beginning to babble, but couldn't bring himself to care about that either. "I can't seem to get warm today. Of course, I think a lot of it has to do with the situation. I just can't believe he's gone." He felt the sting of tears again, cursing the dependency of his station. For the first time, he met his father's gaze head on, though the chocolate-amber orbs were overly bright, "Has there been any luck at all since Kurotsuchi failed?"

"No." Karin was the one who answered, feeling left out. "Toshi says that they're doing all they can but Hueco Mundo is just as sealed off now as it has been for weeks." She turned to glare at their father, "Which is why it's fine for me to be out practicing right now!"

"Just because there haven't been any Hollows actually seen in the last month and a half doesn't mean that there aren't any, young lady! You are supposed to have someone with a Zanpakutou with you at all times when you go out 'practicing' as you so blithely put it." Isshin rounded on his dark-haired daughter as though their previous argument had never been put to rest.

The object of his frustration growled, "But there aren't any Hollows! Shinji and the others even confirmed it! Nothing in OR out!"

"You don't know that!" Was the only thing the worried parent could come up with as a come-back. All it got him was another growl, and Karin sank lower into her chair, slouching and 'not' pouting.

Ichigo cleared his throat, "Karin, Dad is right. It's too dangerous to go out without a Zanpakutou." But before Karin could enhance her sulk, or Isshin could dissolve into the overly proud goofball he usually did about things like this, Ichigo continued, "But, Tou-san, Karin is right too. Right now—" He had to clear his throat again, "there won't be any Hollow activity at all."

"How do you know, Ichigo?" His father sounded tired. This wasn't the life he wanted for his children. He'd married the Human woman that was the light of his life in order to avoid having to see his children right for their very lives. He'd nearly lost his only son more times than he liked to count, and he'd be damned if he had to see either of his precious baby girls forced into that situation. Sure Aizen was captured, the other two traitors dead, but the Hollow world still existed, and the blasted beasts still threatened the lives and safety of all that he held dear. He wound up so caught up in his thoughts that he nearly missed Ichigo speaking to him.

"My mate is among those missing." The orangette said very quietly. His right hand slid up to his neck and stroked the backwards '6' that was branded into his skin. He focused his entirely too expressive eyes on the plate of untouched dinner.

That announcement brought another round of serious interrogation from both his father, who knew more about Hollow habits than he liked to let on, and from his sister, who knew her brother better than anyone else in the household. Eventually the whole story from his birthday onward, with a few minor personal details left out, was explained to his family.

At the end of it Karin frowned and rubbed her temple. "So, let me see if I get all of this. Ichi-nii's got an inner Hollow, named Shiro, that's apparently his partner, NOT evil and out to consume his soul, but they haven't always been partners, only since Ichi-nii went off and let himself be topped by that Arrancar—"

"_Grimmjow._" Ichigo cut in.

"Grimmjow—that was hanging around the house six weeks ago. So, now they're not only partners but can evidently share Ichi-nii's body equally. Does that about sum it up?" Karin asked incredulous that her brother would just roll over and 'take it'.

Ichigo was about to answer when Yuzu scolded, "Karin-chan! Otousan!" breaking into the conversation for the first time since Ichigo started explaining. Both sets of dark eyes looked at her, which made her swallow loudly under their scrutiny. "Onii-chan did what he had to. Can't you see how tired he is? This isn't easy for him. I don't know much about this whole mating thing that Otousan and Onii-chan are talking about but to my understanding he's dealing with something along the same lines as when Kaa-chan died." Everyone around the table flinched. "But his lover isn't dead, just missing. So, isn't it our job as a family to pitch in and help Onii-chan to find him?" The blonde homemaker stood up then leveling the closest thing to a glare she could manage at her father and sister.

Ichigo stood with her, taking the plates from the table, and not meeting either one's gaze. For the first time since he discovered that he'd imprinted on Grimmjow he regretted it. He knew his father wouldn't understand. The man was a full Shinigami. The only reason he wasn't back with the Gotei 13 was because he'd fallen in love with the orangette's mother. Although blurring the line between Shinigami and Hollow was no longer the death sentence it had been a hundred years ago, the Visored was pretty sure having an affair with one was still that much worse than having the same kind of relationship with a Human. He set the dishes in the sink, ignoring the concerned look he was receiving from Yuzu, and scraped his still mostly full plate into the garbage. He couldn't tell them about Little One now. The way they had reacted to his relationship, if it could be called that, was bad enough. The last thing he wanted to do was run the risk that his father would try to hurt her.

Yuzu gave him a half smile, taking his now empty plate from him. His left eye had bled black again, the stripes underneath more obvious. She reached up and ran her fingers through the hair near his ear. He nodded and left the kitchen, heading to his old bedroom.

Reaching the room that had been his personal domain when all of his interaction with the Shinigami had begun so many years ago he was pleased to see that nothing had been changed since he moved out. He stretched out on his bed, an arm flung over his face as Zangetsu tried to bolster both Ichigo and Shiro's spirits from within. He couldn't give in, but it was just so hard not to fall into the open pit of despair that pulled on his heart. He was so caught up in trying to maintain his external mask that he missed his father joining him.

The black-haired ex-captain, leaning against the door frame, watched his son rubbing slow, tender circles under his navel. After a few minutes of hard contemplation, reading the substitute's reiatsu, Isshin spoke, "There's a child isn't there?"

Peering out from underneath his arm, the black and gold left eye was visible in the light from the hallway. He scoffed, his voice distorted again, "**Fer an ex-captain ya certainly aren't ta bright are ya, Pops?**"

Nodding, Isshin crossed to the desk chair and sat down. "I know that the theory is that mated Hollow pairs can conceive regardless of gender, but when I left the Soul Society the theory hadn't been proven."

"**Yeah, well, Aizen'd already fucked wi' the place at that point.**" The sarcastic, distorted voice continued, never once revealing Ichigo's other eye. "**Yanno, Aibou didn' come here fer a fuckin' second round of personal interrogation. He thought, for some strange reason, that he'd be welcome here. Now though he's not so sure. So, we're gonna take a nap cuz the Little One needs it and then we'll leave. Head back ta the Shoten er somethin'. Maybe shack up wi' Shinji. Least they know what he's dealin' with better'n ya seem ta.**"

Isshin didn't say anything for a while, his face closed off. The hybrid had almost drifted off when his voice broke the thick silence again. It was tight, heavy with restrained emotion, and quiet. "I'd like to speak to my son if you don't mind, Hollow-san."

"**Feh! I won't waste ma breath debatin' that sentence but the name's Shiroitsuyo, Pops. Git used ta it.**" The reiatsu around Ichigo shifted, and the eye watching his father cleared back to the color his mother gave him. His voice, though strained, was what Isshin was used to hearing as well, "Yeah, Tou-san?"

The ex-captain cleared his throat. "So, uh, I guess there's nothing we can do but move forward huh?"

"Goat Face, don't go there."

Meeting his son's glare, Isshin squirmed a little bit. He couldn't keep eye contact, "I just don't want you stuck in something that could hurt you more than it already has."

_**He's lying, Aibou,**_ Shiro hissed within Ichigo's mind.

'I know,' Ichigo answered. 'But I don't understand why. I thought he'd be happy that he was going to be a grandfather.'

_Perhaps, it has something to do with genetics,_ Zangetsu chimed in softly. _Your own grandfather required significant—shall we call it persuasion?—before he was willing to accept Visoreds._

Ichigo agreed with the other two, continuing to stare his father down. After a few more minutes, when the older Shinigami didn't continue and wouldn't meet his eyes, Ichigo sighed. Getting up from his bed. He straightened his shirt. His mouth drew into a tight line as his father still didn't look at him directly. Without another word he left the room lest he say something he would truly regret. He passed Karin in the hall, and the two met eyes for a moment before the orangette returned back downstairs.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Goat Face." The black-haired 18-year-old leaned in the doorway of her brother's old room, arms crossed over her chest and an eyebrow raised.

"Stay out of it, Karin." She'd never heard that level of darkness in her father's voice, and frankly, it chilled her down to her core.

Yuzu looked up as Ichigo joined her in the living room. He looked just as tired as before, with a darkness in his mismatched eyes that pierced her heart. She bit her lip before smiling at him, "So, I was thinking that I'd make Mei-chan a blanket? Do you think she'll want bunnies or duckies better?"

The normality of his sister's question made him laugh. His smile actually broke through the haunted look in his eyes when he looked at her. Sitting on the other side of the couch, his right hand immediately settled on the non-existent bump as it had periodically since he woke up. "_I'm sure whatever Oba-Yu makes for her will be perfect. She'll love it._"

Even though his voice was back to that duality from before, Yuzu simply smiled and dug out a small notebook from under the cushion of the couch. Her pencil flew across the small paper fast enough that Ichigo had to check twice to make sure she wasn't using reiatsu. He shook his head, just watching his gentle sister.

"Still planning on going to university for graphic design?" He asked, relaxed enough to let Shiro simply sit in the back of his mind cuddling Little One.

Yuzu merely nodded, chewing on the end of the pencil, her feet tucked up and her head bowed over the tablet. She was so absorbed that she didn't feel Karin lean on the couch, peering over her shoulder at the design she was working with. She didn't jump though, when Karin spoke, which further added to Ichigo's suspicions about the blonde's own special abilities.

"That fer our niece or nephew?" The brunette's voice was off slightly, unsettled.

Yuzu held the pattern of the baby blanket out so both of her siblings could see it. Both edges were lined with hopping rabbits, and there was indicated a ribbon of satin woven both above and below the rabbits. "I was thinking of knitting it in soft pink, or maybe purple?"

"But what if it's a boy?" Karin asked, looking between the two.

"It's a girl." Ichigo and Yuzu responded at the same time, and all three laughed.

The orangette smiled, closing his eyes for a moment, "I can feel her reiatsu. She's only 6 weeks old but I can tell she's a girl." Karin scoffed and plopped down between the two on the couch, rolling her eyes.

"Let me guess, it's a Hollow thing." She raised her eyebrow at her brother, who nodded. A few moments of silence passed among them, Yuzu turning to a new page and doodling the ducky blanket option, Ichigo resting his head on his left hand propped against the back of the couch, and Karin crossed her arms, stretching her long legs out in front of her.

Catching himself from falling asleep again, Ichigo's head snapped up blinking to clear his fuzzy vision, focusing on the scratch under Karin's left eye. "So, what happened?"

"Huh?" The brunette frowned lightly, her attention broken out of her thoughts.

"Well there aren't any Hollows to purify, so how'd you scratch your cheek?" He pointed.

Karin rubbed the broken skin, and a flash of color ran across the bridge of her nose. Yuzu was the one who answered though, "Hitsugaya-kun was here today."

Ichigo raised his eyebrow and a smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. The older brother in him tried to be stern, but Shiro's influence made him more entertained by his sister's flirtations than anything else. "So, 'Toshi' isn't just a nickname cuz he's training you huh?"

"Aw, lay off. Like you have room talk, Mr. Beta!" Karin made to punch his arm, but held back feeling Yuzu's knee brush her own. She huffed, "Don't tell Goat Face. He doesn't like that I'm dating Toshi. So, anytime we wanna hang out, we gotta 'train' to avoid suspicions. So, we spar for a bit, and I slipped on a patch of ice. Caught a mouthful of dirt, and there must've been a nail or something on the ground. I didn't even know I'd scratched it until Goat Face showed up."

"**So, then ya weren't alone? Why make a big deal 'bout it then?**" Shiro's voice echoed through out of nowhere.

Karin jumped, "Shit!" She glared. "Warn me, Baka! You can't just switch personalities like that and expect everything to be all yoi."

He actually looked apologetic, "**Sorry, 'Rin-chan, but I haven't gotten ta talk ta ya like ever! Afore this whole matin' thing, Aibou and I weren't 'xactly on the best o' terms.**"

Ichigo snorted, "That's the understatement of the year."

Karin pinched the bridge of her nose. "This bouncing back and forth is giving me a headache."

Before anyone else could say anything, Isshin returned from the second floor. All three looked up at him with varying expressions. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, "I think it's getting a bit late. Maybe Ichigo should head back to Urahara's shop before it gets too much later? I'm sure he'll want to be as close as he can be to where the information from the Soul Society will arrive."

"But, Otousan, I thought Onii-chan would—"

"It's fine, Yu-chan." Ichigo cut her off, standing. He wiped his palms down his hips seeming to be smoothing his clothes. "It was good to see you guys. Daisuki desu, minna." He hugged Yuzu, and smiled into her hair when Karin hugged him from the other side. Chocolate eyes looked into dark brown for a moment before he stepped around his father's planted form to gather his shoes.

As he was about to leave, Yuzu handed him a jacket. "The wind will be colder now that the sun's gone down." She tried to smile, but the tension between father and son kept it from reaching her eyes.

"Be careful on your walk, Ichi-nii." Karin put her arm around their sister in support.

"Arigato, Karin-chan." He smiled that half smile from before again, and left the house that was no longer his home.

* * *

Across two worlds from Karakura, a figure, drawn up by its wrists against a smooth stone wall, groaned as light splashed across its face. Cerulean eyes squinted at the drastic change of lighting, and a mouth too dry to speak literally cracked into a sneer.

"Well, well, well, it seems the subject still refuses to admit that it is under our mercy. Draw up another dose of the serum." The figure in the doorway leered, the light glinting off of its golden teeth. "We are close. So close. Soon we will be able to extract the part of you that you do not deserve, filth. Then the real fun will begin." The grating voice paused for a moment, "You know, you're lucky. The female slipped into a coma before reaching this level of serum, and the other two males didn't even last that long. You are the last, be thankful."

* * *

**A/N 2:** Glossary:

Aibou - partner (typically taken to the level of homosexual relationships)  
Shiroitsuyo - white power (Shiro only uses his full name with people he doesn't respect in any way. Isshin's blatant disrespect and hatred of him cuts him to the quick because he's essentially the Shinigami's son as well because he is half of Ichi.)  
Mei - neice  
Oba-Yu - a hyphenation of Yuzu and Oba-san which is roughly "aunt"  
Daisuki desu, minna - I love you, guys (different from aishiteru yo because daisuke lacks the sexual connotations)  
Yoi - fine, good, hunky dory  
Otousan/Tou-san - father  
Toshi - Toshiro (ONLY Karin is allowed to call him this! But we all know how well Ichi listens to him. XD)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Surprises

"Augh! I swear, yer the most stubborn, hard-headed, full of yerself Beta I have EVER had the displeasure of being around while pregnant!" Shinji ranted at Ichigo, pacing back and forth between the table and the door leading into the kitchen at the Shoten. His hands gestured wildly, his blonde hair flying and his captain's haori flapping out like a cape.

For his part, the youngest Visored simply sipped his cup of ginger-mint tea, lingering at the rim to suck lightly on the floating slice of lemon while watching his pack alpha fret. He'd been back at the Shoten for roughly fifteen minutes, and in that time the still gathered group of Shingami had been given a front row seat to the workings of a Hollow pack.

"Shin-chan—" Kisuke tried to cut in.

"I don't wanna hear it, Kissu! Not only did he take off on his own, HE WALKED BACK ON HIS OWN!" The blonde Visored stopped his pacing to put both hands on his hips and glare at the hybrid. "Couldn't that idiot of a sire of yours have given you a ride?"

"It wasn't that far, Shinji." Ichigo sipped his tea again to hide the uncontrollable tightening of his eyes at the mention of his father. Unfortunately several people around the table noticed it anyway.

Byakuya cleared his throat, setting his own cup of tea down. "Please pardon my intrusion, Hirako-taicho, but perhaps Kurosaki-san had good reason for wanting to make the journey on foot; alone." His tone spoke that he didn't approve of the idea either, but he could identify with the pain in the orangette's eyes. One that most definitely required a certain amount of alone time to truly live with.

Shinji was just about to launch into a new rant, this time something about non-pack members needing to keep their noses out of pack business, but the blast of cold air rushing in from the front door forestalled all further conversation.

"Inoue!" Ichigo frowned, concerned.

The strawberry blonde stumbled forward, carrying a very unconscious Ulquiorra in his Segundo Etapa. "Help! I can't heal him!"

Renji and Rukia flash stepped to take the pale form from their friend. They took him into one of the back rooms, and by the time they returned Orihime was seated with others around the table cuddling her own cup of tea.

"What happened, Inoue-san?" Kisuke asked.

Her face was pale, drawn around the mouth and eyes, and there was salt crusted on her lashes and cheeks. "I-I was sleeping and suddenly I found myself in the middle of a cave. There were stalactites and pools of some sort of green liquid, and his voice! Qui-kun was calling for me. I could hear him and as I walked further into the cave, there he was, lying on the floor, bleeding and in his resurrection. I tried to call my Rikka but he stopped me. He told me to just pick him up and run for the mouth of the cave. So, we did, and as we left the cave I woke up and he was here! In my arms! Still bleeding. I tried to use my Rikka again, but something wasn't right. Every time one of his wounds was healed and they moved to the next one, the first one would reopen and start bleeding again. He woke once, looked at me and I knew we had to make it here. If Sado-kun hadn't been home—" She broke off, tears streaming down her face. "Kurosaki-kun! I don't know how to handle this! It hurts so much! WHY?"

Nobody around the table had ever heard the soft-spoken healer raise her voice, but immediately Ichigo knew what she meant. He scooted over and in a very uncharacteristic move pulled her into a hug. He spoke softly, "I know, Inoue. Just breathe. At least he's here now. If anyone can help him Tessai-san, Hacchi-san, and Urahara-san will figure it out." He was listening to Shiro and his instincts as one Beta to another when he nuzzled her ear, purring softly. "You have more important things to worry about right now." His left hand drifted to the small bump on her midsection that in the chaos none of the others had noticed.

Her shoulders shook and both of her own hands flew to cup over his. "I-I know. H-he's what's gotten me through the l-last six weeks."

Ichigo smiled, "A boy?"

"Yeah." Orihime smiled too, the tears from before seemingly forgotten for the moment.

"Uh…?" Renji almost said something, but Rukia pounced his mouth; Shinji and Kisuke both grabbed his shoulders.

Shinji whispered to the red-head, "Interferin' between Betas is a very stupid idea, Abarai-kun. Let 'em chatter fer a while."

When Renji nodded Rukia let him up. Making sure to keep his voice quiet and leaning closer to Shinji and Kisuke, "So how come Rukia ain't affected like them?" She smacked his arm. "Ow! Damnit! Ya weren't this violent before I married yer brother!" Suddenly he jumped, rattling the table, which caught everyone's attention.

Byakuya simply sipped his tea, the corners of his mouth twitching from Ichigo and Orihime's perspective. Both orange-haired Betas laughed, problems of the three worlds momentarily forgotten. The two exchanged a secretive glance, then met Byakuya's gaze, who looked between the two and merely inclined his head with a blink over his tea. This caused another round of laughter, and Kisuke's eyebrows shot into his bangs. His fan whipped out suddenly to cover the smile he couldn't contain. Shinji caught the motion and snickered, clapping Renji on the shoulder.

"You have a lot to learn, young Alpha." The blonde flashed his signature grin.

At that moment the levity broke because Tessai entered the room. "Cifer-san is awake."

Orihime was off like a rocket, through the door and next to Ulquiorra before anyone could blink. Ichigo followed, and soon Kisuke and Shinji also appeared.

"Hey." The healer smiled down at him, holding his hand in both of hers. He was still in his second resurrection, and his naturally pale skin appeared bruised in multiple places. Tessai had been able to stop the bleeding, though the wounds were still open.

Ichigo sat next to the couple, across from Orihime. Ulquiorra turned his faded emerald gaze to rest on the orangette, he tried to speak, his lips dry and cracked, his tongue heavy, and the words failed to emerge the first several tries. "G-Grimm—Grimmjow…n-needs—" His eyebrows drew together in a deep wince as pain shot through his body. All of those around him unconsciously leaned forward, and he tried again, "Grimmjow needs you, Beta. Th-the Shin-Shinigami—" He winced again, "He stole—stole our z-zan-zanpak-swords." He bit the last word out.

"Is this why you are in your released form, Espada-san?" Kisuke frowned, and the prone Arrancar nodded.

Just being in the room with a true Hollow Alpha had an odd effect on Ichigo. For the first time since leaving his mindscape he was finally relaxed. The tension wasn't completely gone, and he was bursting with questions, but sitting there in the minimal reiatsu Ulquiorra gave off was so similar to Grimmjow's that for the moment it tricked his instincts. In fact he was so affected that before any of them noticed, a rumbling purr filled the room.

The weakened Quatro raised an eyebrow. "It is strange, Kurosaki. You react as though I were Grimmjow." His breath still came in ragged gasps, but being in the presence of his Beta had the same effect on him that it had on her. The wounds were dressed, and that held back the bleeding, aiding to his natural healing abilities. Weakly he took the orangette's hand, drawing his thumb over the other's knuckles. "He misses you as much as you miss him. We—were together for a while, before the Shinigami failed."

The Visored couldn't hold back the tears that splashed onto the black furred hand that clutched his own. He bent his head, letting out the anguish only Ulquiorra and Orihime could understand. It took several minutes of soothing from Shiro for the hybrid to get his emotions back under control, but when he did, he latched on to the one question that had been spinning in his mind since the other pair burst through the door. "Inoue? Why didn't you tell me that you and Ulquiorra-san mated?"

"I didn't think you'd understand, Kurosaki-kun." Orihime had Ulquiorra's hand on her small belly, holding it with both of her own hands, as though she thought it would disappear again.

"Kurosaki." The green-eyed Arrancar drew his mismatched focus, "She was behaving as is appropriate for a Beta in her situation; as you have been. Other than the members of your blood family and those that took care of you immediately following our—separation—how many others know you are with cub?"

Under his scrutiny, Ichigo squirmed. "I didn't think that was normal. I thought it was just because of everything that's happened. Are there other things I should be doing, or am doing?"

Ulquiorra sighed, "Don't worry. I am certain that your instincts are guiding you well. They have not led you astray so far, even when you were fighting them you still listened to them." His voice was stronger, but nothing else was reacting the way it should.

So, Shinji was quite relieved when Hacchi arrived a few moments later. "Come, Ichi, Hime. Let's let Hacchi see if he can help Cifer-san's natural abilities fix whatever it is that has been done to him."

Both Betas looked up from their seats, worry swimming in their matching gazes. Shinji adjusted his reiatsu to mimic the same kind of pattern as Ulquiorra and leaned on both of them. Orihime clutched Ulquiorra's hand tighter, and Ichigo scowled, but after a moment they both stood and left the room to rejoin the group around the table.

Seating had changed slightly, Byakuya having shifted to sit next to Renji rather than across from him, Rukia sat on his other side, and Yoruichi lounged on one of her cushions. No one quite realized how late it had become, the air tense and worried, even as the first rays of sunshine told them that they'd all been up all night. Kisuke and Shinji took the seats between Renji and Yoruichi, and Ichigo and Orihime, surprisingly, clung to each other on another of the flash goddess's pillows.

"Cifer-san is resting. His wounds are quite serious, and something has been done to inhibit his natural regeneration ability. Furthermore, he is trapped in his released form, though his reiatsu, as I'm sure you can tell, is minimal at best." Kisuke filled the Shinigami in on what had transpired in the other room. "By and large though, the most disturbing fact is that there seems to be another traitor among the Gotei 13." This brought a gasp from Rukia, Renji gripped the table so hard his knuckles were white, Yoruichi actually hissed, and Byakuya glared at the implications. "Several times in his recounting of the tale, Cifer-san mentioned a Shinigami, but he has yet to provide any details regarding who the culprit is."

Shinji snorted. "I'll give ya three guesses and I bet ya won't need the first two."

"Unfortunately, I doubt the Central 46 would agree with you, Hirako-san." Byakuya intoned, "No matter what our personal opinions are here."

"Pft! If it really is him, what're we gonna do about it?" That was from Renji, who crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the table. "The last time he supposedly got in trouble all the officials did was give him a written reprimand."

Kisuke waved his fan in front of his face, "Now, now, we don't have any proof. All of this speculation is derived from personal opinions about the man. It doesn't add up to actual evidence of wrong-doing, and until we get some more information from Cifer-san we don't have any to build theories. So, I suggest we follow our dear expectant mothers and catch some shut eye while Cifer-san heals."

The gathered Shinigami turned to look at the two orangettes. They looked much like twins, curled face to face around Orihime's belly, each had an arm flung over the other, their foreheads pressed together and their knees touching. All in all, the two had created a veritable living cage around the precious lives between them.

At the confusion playing across the faces of the gathered Shinigami, Shinji elaborated. "In a Hollow pack, Betas stick together for safety. The most important thing to defend are the offspring. So, often, expecting Betas will physically touch to create a faster response time to danger. It's all about survival."

"Yanno, I've been wondering. Hirako-san, how is it you know so much about Hollow behavior?" Renji asked, for once being as quiet as the others.

Kisuke waved his fan, "I can answer that for you, Abarai-kun. Shin-chan is the Visored Pack Alpha, his inner Hollow is Dominant and so is he, but not only is he an Alpha as far as mating goes, he leads the Visoreds. Inner Hollows are much like Zanpakutou spirits, they know everything instinctively that they would need to know to survive in Hueco Mundo, even if they've never been there."

"Ah. So, all of this stuff that Ichigo's doing is because of the fact that he's a Beta? Does it ever change?" Rukia piped up, watching the faces of her sleeping friends. They looked so peaceful, the worry lines and tension drained from their features.

"I think those are questions best left for another day, Rukia." Byakuya stood from his seat, prompting both of his companions to do the same. "I have a flat not far from here where we can get some rest and not inconvenience Urahara-san." He bowed to the shopkeeper and his partner before turning and making his way quickly out into the gathering morning.

During this part of the conversation Yoruichi had taken to her feline form and curled up above the orange heads of Ichigo and Orihime. She blinked once at the departing Shinigami and completely ignored Shinji when he turned to Kisuke.

"I'll have Mashiro and Lisa come join them. They may not be expecting, but the more Betas in the cuddle the better. It will help them further relax while Hacchi finishes with Ulquiorra-san."

The shopkeeper merely nodded. He knew better than to offer himself, since he had played both Alpha and Beta at different times with different Visoreds since their banishment over a hundred years ago. Those that fell firmly under the classification of Hollow couldn't change what they were; upon coming of age one either became an Alpha or a Beta and stayed that way. However, Kisuke was a Shinigami, and as such was not forced to be one side or the other. It made him unique and though he was part of the pack honorarily, he was painfully aware that he didn't suffer from the same kinds of troubles as the rest of them. This meant that in spite of being accepted, he couldn't really fit into either category, which in turn meant he would be of no help to the two suffering Betas in their midst.

Hours later Ichigo's stomach turned, shocking him into awareness of his surroundings mere moments before spurring him to find some place to lose the contents of his stomach. His fight for freedom woke the other four females surrounding him, but all four merely looked up as he dashed for the bathroom without concern. He came back about fifteen minutes later, rubbing his stomach, looking pale and forced his way back into the middle of the pile.

Lisa growled at him, but he growled right back and flopped down next to Orihime on his back, daring her to make him move. She scowled but simply draped herself between the two orangettes' legs, her head on Mashiro's stomach and her feet tucked between Orihime's thighs. Mashiro snuggled closer to Ichigo, tucking Lisa's head under her boobs, and burying her nose in Ichigo's neck. Orihime mimicked Mashiro on the other side, effectively pinning both Lisa and Ichigo, and Yoruichi waited until the other four settled before taking her feline form and curling up on Lisa's exposed hip. In the end the five were quite warm in spite of not having any blankets.

Within his mindscape, Ichigo purred. Zangetsu and Shiro both looked out in surprise. The rain had stopped. Even though the sky was still cloudy and threatening rain, there were shafts of sunlight peering through, and the deep rumbling purr echoing from Ichigo's contentment made the reiatsu ball that was Little One vibrate in response, happy that her momma was happy. As he drifted off there was a soft blurring along the very edges of the cityscape of sideways skyscrapers.

"Interesting." Zangetsu intoned from the top of his flagpole.

"Seems, Ichi's fully accepted his role as a Beta. He's surrounded himself wi' other Betas. Their mindscapes are bleeding into his." Shiro carried the ball of reiatsu in a sling fashioned from the kosode of his inverted shihakusho. He made his way to the edge of the building, watching as a field of wild flowers grew next to the entrance of a grand cave. Next to this was a structure that appeared to be half climbing apparatus, half library. The four new places ringed his mindscape and the boundary was non-existent as the details came into focus. Shiro shook his head, chuckling lightly. "Aibou's gonna be thrilled."

Suddenly the reiatsu ball spasmed excitedly in the sling. The ashen Alpha stared down at it intrigued. "Think mebbe the cub knows somethin' we don't, Jii-san?"

Zangetsu drifted down from his perch in a lazy flash step. "Perhaps we should inquire of the neighbors? I sense at least three separate Zanpakutou spirits, and two others like yourself, Shirosaki."

Suddenly the six fairies of the Shun Shun Rikka surrounded them. Ayame and Lily flew up to the reiatsu ball heedless of Shiro's warning growl. Baigon, Shuno and Hinagiku lined up in front of Zangetsu, bowing deeply in respect of the more powerful, older spirit. Tsubaki, on the other hand, flew straight into Shiro's face, "Snowflake, what are you doing in Orihime-sama's mindscape!"

"Hey! I'm not in anybody's mindscape but King's! You all're the ones invadin' his mindscape!" He pulls Little One closer to his body. "Git away! Damn fairies!"

"But she's adorable, and we can help her feel better." Ayame flew up to hover between Tsubaki and Shiro. "Her reiatsu is unbalanced, and Shuno and I can balance it for her. Can we please?"

Zangetsu turned to the male half of the Soten Kisshun, "Are you certain you can stabilize the child's energies?"

"Hai, Spirit-sama. We had to do the same thing for our Starlight." The thin male fairy bowed deeply again. "Being without their other parent is very difficult for the small spirits. They must draw from the reiatsu around them, but without the sire they are flooded with too much of their dam's reiatsu."

"I would like to see the other child before allowing you to do anything with ours." The dark sword spirit's expression was hidden by his glasses, but the line of his mouth meant that he was seriously considering the offer. The females brightened considerably and the six of them took off back the way they came, presumably to bring the child to be examined.

"Ya can't be serious, Jii-san! I ain't lettin' any o' them fairies anywhere near the cub! Little One's jus' fine on 'er own." Shiro clutched the bundle to his chest protectively, and hissed as soon as the 'intruders' were gone, "D'ya know what'd happen ta Aibou if somethin' happened ta her?"

His Zanpakutou half turned then, "That is precisely why we should explore the possibility. So far you and I have been enough to keep her stable, but the longer she goes without _his_ reiatsu being the more likely it will begin to affect her physical appearance, and mental stability. And I do not think I should have to explain what would happen to her should her reiatsu change such that the mating bond no longer accepts her as a product of the two."

Shiro growled again, "No, ya don't. But it don't mean I like the idea o' lettin' them damn fairies near her."

"No, and I have no intention of allowing them to interact with her unless I am completely sure that there is no danger." The sword spirit summoned his blade to perch on since he was at the opposite end of the building from his flagpole. "Hush now, they are returning."

Sure enough, the six fairies were flying back carrying a much larger reiatsu ball. Each pair of delicate hands held a portion of something similar to the Santen Kesshun shield, but flexible. In the middle, once the glow of reiatsu had faded somewhat, sat a bubbly infant boy. He had jet black hair and the purest green eyes either of Ichigo's inner selves had ever seen. He blinked a few times then giggled in the fashion of small creatures, his bangs bouncing back to display an aqua eight-pointed star on his forehead.

"Starlight." Zangetsu nodded in understanding, approaching the child. The pale skinned babe had no hole, but the feel of his reiatsu was not entirely Human. Holding a hand over the ebony head the sword spirit closed his eyes, bringing the measures of Hollow versus Human reiatsu to the surface. The area pulsed lightly and earned a second nod from Ichigo's darker third. "The child is stable and well cared for. We can trust them."

Shiro glared in suspicion but said nothing as he sat on the glass of a window, cradling Little One in his lap. The now almost completely red, white and black covered ball seemed to burble and then sputtered as with hiccups. The Hollow's pale hands pulled back the fabric of his kosode to reveal the ball to the fairies and Ayame and Shuno took that as an invitation to come closer. Leaving their position forced the other four fairies to rest Starlight on the glass as well, but the six, including the child and Zangetsu, kept back while the two spread the Soten Kisshun over Little One in Shiro's lap. It didn't take very long but the hiccups stopped and a soft, barely audible purr began to emanate from within the ball.

Suddenly, Ayame frowned and gasped. "The bond isn't finished!"

Seeming to be psychic among themselves, Tsubaki flew at Shiro's nose again with an accusing boot kick to the end of the albino appendage. "You never bonded with the sire's sword spirit! You idiot! Just how do you think your master's going to react when the baby dies? All because you didn't boink the other spirit!"

Lily grabbed Tsubaki from behind, putting her hands over his already covered mouth. "Heh, sorry. He didn't have to be so mean about it. Sometimes Tsubaki doesn't know how to filter what he's going to say."

"He has a point though." Baigon chimed in gruffly, looking troubled. Hinagiku patted the larger fairy's arm sympathetically and Shuno sighed.

"Well, what can I do about it?" Shiro actually looked worried. He drew his hand over Little One, the red and black reiatsu reaching up towards his hand. He leaned forward so he was wrapped around the ball, his ashen bangs hanging into his face, hiding his eyes. His voice was quiet, sounding more Human than he ever had before, "She disappeared before we could get down to it. I mean, the bond was there, yeah, but y'know we didn' y'know cuz Blue and King were still bondin' and we didn' wanna mess that up. But then she was gone, an' I haven' seen 'er since." He looked up at Zangetsu, tears in his inverted eyes, "We gotta find 'er, Zan. We jus' gotta. She's m'Beta."

"I know." The sword spirit stepped closer to the seated white figure and sent soothing reiatsu into the air around them.

Externally, the pile of females, and Ichigo, stirred again, collectively waking up, stretching, yawning, and blinking in the afternoon sunshine. Orihime smiled, one hand on her bump. Yoruichi hopped down from her place on Lisa's hip and stretched out of feline form on her way to the bathroom. Lisa sat up, Mashiro draped over her shoulders, and Ichigo, who was somehow on the bottom, merely squirmed a little, pressing his back deeper into the cushions.

"I don't think I've slept that well in a month!" Orihime chirped.

"It's not surprising. I swear you two are the—" Mashiro suddenly had a hand over her mouth.

Lisa adjusted her glasses with her other hand, "What my packmate means is that as new Betas you two wouldn't have been aware of the comfort that sleeping with others of your kind can bring. Even being surrounded by Beta Shinigami would be a help." Her tone was somewhat condescending, but having experience with Byakuya, Ichigo could tell she was simply trying to explain why both he and Orihime had comparatively more energy than what seemed like forever.

"Well, I may be more rested, but I still feel like crap." Ichigo groaned, rubbing his stomach with one hand and flinging the other arm across his face.

Kisuke's laughter brought everyone's attention to the table not far from where they were all still huddled together. "And that is why when Yoru-chan came to see me we felt it would be a good idea to bring you folks a pot of my ginger tea. Even those of you who are not expecting should be able to enjoy it."

"Ah, arigato gozaimous, Urahara-san!" Orihime practically levitated off of the cushions to grab a cup and a handful of the fruit filled pastries also sitting on the table in front of the shopkeeper.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the idea of getting up and had to blink several times when a cup was shoved under his nose by Lisa. At his dumbfounded expression, she said, "Drink. Once you have, then try to get up. It's better that way."

A few moments later, Shinji entered, "Inoue-san, Cifer-san is awake. He specifically asked for you." She was gone before he even finished speaking, which prompted a small chuckle from the blonde Visored Alpha. "Ah, Betas. Gotta love 'em." He joined Kisuke at the table.

Just as he was about to fill in the group on Ulquiorra's status the door to the shoten opened to allow Renji, Byakuya and Rukia to rejoin them, much to Jinta's irritation as he followed shouting about the store not being open yet and that freeloaders should know better than to come around. Tessai, who had been organizing a shelf unit with new candies simply reached out and snagged the small red-head's collar.

Ignoring the dispute between the two, Byakuya crossed directly to the table where all but the three Betas on the cushion were sitting. "Yamamoto-sotaicho has requested that we return to give a report in person to the Central 46 about the reappearance of Ulquiorra. Is there anything specific about his condition that could help the Second Division in apprehending the culprit responsible for disrupting the balance between the worlds?"

"I was just about to get to that." Shinji smiled, though the corners of his mouth were tense. When the three had taken their places around the table, he continued, "Cifer-san appears ta have been tortured, multiple slow-actin' poisons riddled the wounds across his body, and in spite of his enhanced regeneration most of his bones appear to have been broken at one point or another since his disappearance. We can only assume that this same treatment is bein' used on the other missin' former Espada."

Ichigo gasped, sitting up quickly. "_We have to help them!_" His voice echoed, his eyes mismatched as both he and Shiro raged at the possibility of their mates suffering the same treatment as Ulquiorra. Lisa and Mashiro grabbed the distraught Beta, both purring in his ears on either side.

Shinji held up a hand. "I know, but that isn't the worst part. If I didn't know that ya would tear the three worlds asunder if'n we don't tell ya everythin' now I'd keep ya from this conversation, Beta." He glared at Ichigo, who bristled. The scowl across his face told the Pack Alpha just what he needed to know. "I know, I know. Ya aren't weak, Ichi, but this is gonna be hard fer ya ta hear. It seems that somehow Cifer-san's Zanpakutou has been forcibly removed from his soul. He can no longer hear or sense Mercilago in any way, and cannot return to his previous Human-like state." Once again Ichigo tensed as the rest of them winced at the implications of that news. Shinji took a deep breath, "Now, we don' know if he'll be able ta reconnect with his sword once his reiatsu stabilizes, but that's gonna take a couple o' weeks. In the meantime, he's told us that he knows for certain that his tormentor was Shinigami, but that the perpetrator was careful to remain hidden." The blonde looked at Byakuya, "Could ya and the Second gather together a collection of pictures of the various lower than fourth seat Shinigami in each of the divisions? Cifer-san believes he'll be able to recognize the attendants that administered the drugs that kept him from regeneratin' effectively if he sees them again. An' we'll need someone from the Fourth to administer reiatsu infusions here. Let Yama-jii know that Kensei, Rose an' I will be stuck here 'til this is sorted out. Now that Ichigo an' Orihime're here they'll need the other Visored Betas ta keep them stable while their Alphas are indisposed." At the end of his speech, Shinji crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the table.

"I will see to it, Hirako-san." Byakuya inclined his head.

"Well this whole situation just sucks." Rukia stood from the table and plopped herself at Ichigo's feet. She'd never been very girly, but the idea that one of her best friends was going through something this big brought out the same sort of draw that the other girls felt; a sort of inter-connectivity that the female of any species understood.

Ichigo, who was looking at his lap, drew his feet up and tucked them under himself, subconsciously trying to make his body as small as possible. "_So—_" He began quietly, "_All we can' do is wait?_"

"For now, Berry-chan." Kisuke used his fan to disguise his concern. "But you won't be alone anymore. The girls and I will be here to help. It'll be ok."

"We'll bring him back, Kurosaki-kun." Orihime chimed from the doorway, where she was supporting a very tired looking Ulquiorra.

The Quatro cleared his throat, bringing the orangette's gaze up to him, "Do not worry, Kurosaki. The Sexta is the most tenacious of our kind. He will not surrender. He knows well that you need him, and as a feline he will do everything he can to return to you. Your cub demands it of him."

Ichigo nodded, but drew a little further into himself, damning the instability in his emotions at the moment as he buried his face in his knees. When his shoulders started shaking the Visored girls cuddled closer, but no one said anything, even if Renji squirmed a bit at the knowledge of his sparring partner having this sort of breakdown.

So, after the tea and pastries were finished, the Shinigami left for the Soul Society, Rukia hugging Ichigo fiercely before stepping through the Senkaimon, and in return the other Visoreds arrived from their warehouse to take up residence at the Shoten. Lisa, Hyori, Mashiro and Hacchi moved their things into Ichigo's room, along with several large cushions from what Lisa called the 'Beta Room'. Kensei, Love, Rose and Shinji each took a bedroom around the new 'Beta Room', and before the sun set Chad and Ishida arrived carrying a duffle bag for Orihime and dinner. The Quincy and the Fullbringer wouldn't be staying at the shoten, but Chad assumed that Orihime would since that was where Ulquiorra had to stay to recover.

As everyone settled into their respective rooms for the night Kisuke was curled up in Shinji's arms across the hall from where the Betas were effectively piled into a nest. He looked up at his current mate, a look of contemplation on his face. "Shin-chan, do you ever regret that Visoreds are sterile?"

Shinji scoffed, his eyes closed. "Sometimes, but can ya see a buncha Mashiro's cubs runnin' 'round like their mom?" The pair shuddered. There was silence for a short while as they contemplated more seriously the fact that although the Visored men could breed with Human women the Betas in the pack were barren.

The shopkeeper almost believed his Alpha was asleep when the other blonde spoke again, "Berry-tan never does anything by halves does he?" It was rhetorical but Kisuke shook his head anyway. "We gotta find a way ta get his Alpha soon. Ya felt the cub's reiatsu right?" Shinji opened one eye to meet his lover's through the wavy blonde fringe.

"Hai, though I wouldn't worry too much, young Ichigo is the master of the impossible remember. Who else could not only defeat Aizen but come back from the brink of absolute powerlessness to be as strong as he is now?"

"Heh. That's what makes him such a tasty Beta." The look on the Visored's face was practically predatory.

Kisuke sat up and smirked at him, "My dear Alpha, are you trying to cheat on me?"

They both laughed, and collapsed back onto the bed, as they both knew that even if Shinji wanted to, mating season was officially over and the strawberry had been claimed. If he was lucky, maybe the next time the orangette went into heat Shinji would get a chance, but until then Kisuke would simply have to do. After stating that, the object of his affection rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Good night, Shin-chan."

Down the hall, Orihime was curled around Ulquiorra blissfully ignorant of her Alpha's fitful dreams. At first panic clenched his heart as he could see nothing in the absolute pitch darkness and could feel the cutting metal of cuffs on his arms and legs. However, as the door to the room was flung open and light exploded in the room, he realized he was seeing through someone else's pain-riddled and sandy eyes.

"Are you awake, Hollow?" The grating voice broke through his delirium.

The blue spikes of his bangs hung down into his face over the crown of his mask, his large furred ears drooped, and the light of wildness had left his cerulean eyes. He couldn't even gather the strength to lash his tail. All four paws ached horribly around the wrists and ankles where the metal shackles had rubbed the skin raw. He doubted he'd ever regrow the fur in those bands. Most of his muscle definition was gone and his ribs stuck out under the white fur that had replaced his armor plating.

"What—" He panted. "—do you—want—now?"

"Well, I can't have my greatest success dying on me. You have proven to be quite the useful specimen. I would never have learned as much as I have if it weren't for your help." The light from behind his tormentor glinted off of what had to be metal adornments on his face or possibly his head. The Shinigami stepped to the side and pulled a female form into the light by a leash.

There standing in front of his world weary eyes was the one form he never thought he'd see standing outside of his mind. She was regal, delicate, powerful, covered in fine, silky blue fur with lighter colored jaguar spots, dressed in a simple hakama and bindings around her breasts, but around her neck was a heavy collar that implied all sorts of devious hidden devices.

His tongue felt like sandpaper as he croaked, "P-Pantera?"

* * *

**Belly Report:**  
Orihime - 25 weeks  
Ichigo - 6 weeks

**A/N:** If anyone needs a visual reference for how our expecting moms look, this is the website I use when writing my descriptions for both physical appearance and symptoms: : / / www . pregnancycalendar1 . com (obviously remove the spaces. ^_^)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Making Plans

"Very intelligent, specimen. I have indeed been successful in extracting this most beautiful spirit from the clutches of your disgusting soul." The Shinigami brought a hand down the side of her face, ignoring her flinch. "Pantera you say her name is? Beautiful. I will thoroughly enjoy having her. Thank you, filth, you may die now."

With that the light was gone and Grimmjow was left feeling more hollowed than he had ever been as a Menos. Rage boiled and churned in his empty stomach. Ignoring the screaming pain in his ribs from his last interaction with the Shinigami's assistants, he threw himself forward, pulling on his shackles in his attempt to get to the door. The chains rattled and he roared in mindless fury.

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS, ASSHOLE!" He screamed.

Then pain exploded in the back of his mind and the next thing he knew he was falling, both physically against the tension of his chains and mentally into the soothing dark of unconsciousness. The fleeting thought that he was dying crossed his mind and with it a flash of regret that he'd never get to see his cub born or be able to really enjoy his strawberry.

In the darkest corner of the room something moved. Amber eyes peered out of the darkness, and delicate hands tore a strip of cloth from their own shirt to wipe the blood, sweat and tears from the face of the unconscious Sexta. Matted pink hair stuck out in all directions as the person tried to run a hand through it. Nervously glancing around the dirty room where all of the surviving former Espada were held, the thin male kept his form close to the ground while he slunk around the space. He wiped away what dirt that he could, and attempted to heal his companions, all the while ignoring the stinging ache where his 'wings' dragged across the floor. The bulbs along the normally white appendages were mostly lacerated and the few that weren't deflated completely were distorted by brewing infections.

The Primera was also unconscious, forcibly strapped to a table in the center of the room, his belly slashed open. In the dim light leaking in from around the door the Octavo could see that the wound had begun to fester. He hovered his hand over the area and channeled some of his own reiatsu into the area to try and stave off the infection, but he knew it wouldn't be enough. He had his own wounds, and the Tercera, both current and former, were no better off than the Primera. At least he'd gotten the Quatro and the Quinto out. Though he was certain the Quatro had gotten through to his Beta, the male Beta was uncertain whether the Quinto had been intelligent enough to run away. He had the sinking suspicion that the lanky Arrancar was still hanging around due to the fact that the former Tercera was still caged. Her ability to shape shift made her too valuable to be thrown away, but the Shinigami scientist couldn't use his poisons on her the way he could with the others.

"Sa-Szayel…" The sea-green haired Arrancar called hoarsely through the darkness and the slender male crossed under the lab table to where she huddled in a cage of steel bars. She was the only one not in her resurrection form. "H-how is he?" Her voice cracked as she tried to whisper.

"He will survive—this time." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "If we don't get them out of here soon there will be nothing left for the girl to heal. Already Halibel's broken jaw is healing misaligned and Starrk's stomach wound continues to fester. I fear we will succumb to infection before help can arrive. How are you?" He reached through the bars to run his delicate hand across her stomach.

She was lying on her back, her knees drawn up and to the side. Her left ankle was encased in a metal cuff similar to the restraints holding back the Sexta, but her right ended just below her knee. "I'll be fine. I fear more for Nnoitra than myself. He won't last long out there, and I don't think he could bring himself to truly abandon me. Not after—"

"I know, but we have to hope that he has at least the good sense to try and meet up with the ones that escaped. My brother and yours." He shook his head and sighed.

Just then there was a commotion outside the door, causing Szayel to bolt across the room, back into his hiding place. As far as the Shinigami knew he was still frozen from that 'perfection' potion. So, in the corner farthest from the door, behind the husk-statue that was his supposed form, the amber eyes peered out as light flooded the filthy space again.

This time two of the Shinigami's assistants entered, dragging an unconscious blonde form. They dumped the slim male at the end of the table and returned to the hall where something was yelling unintelligibly and the other Shinigami were shouting to each other. When the five or six assistants finally fought the thing into the room, both Szayel and Nel had to bite off a gasp. The Quinto was blinded, blood pouring down his face, his left foot dragged behind him, one of his shoulders was out of alignment, and several other arms looked broken badly. Worst was the fact that he was pushed into the floor by his own weapon as a freakishly distorted praying mantis hissed and chittered as blood welled up around the blade at the back of his neck.

Between the strength of Santa Teresa and the Shinigami, Nnoitra was wrestled against the wall next to Grimmjow and shackled as heavily, a metal cuff four inches thick around each wrist and ankle, and one around his neck that matched the one around the mantid spirit's own. All of these were attached to the wall, and by the time the captors were done the Quinto barely had enough room to take the weight off of his broken ankle. The door slammed shut and darkness swallowed the room again.

"FUCK YOU ALL! JUST WAIT! I GOT OUT BEFORE FUCKERS, I'LL DO IT AGAIN!" He screamed, then more quietly, "Fucktards. All of 'em. Tch." Szayel crept out again, and approached Nnoitra, who jerked away from the noise. "Who's there? Fucker! Answer me!"

"Shh. Nnoitra, it's me." The Octavo touched the bare chest in front of him. "I'm going to wipe the blood off your face. Try not to move. I may be able to preserve your eye for later with my reiatsu, but if you jerk around you'll only hurt yourself more. Then who would care for Nelliel when this is all over?"

"Feh. Be quick, Pinky. I wanna be able ta see my baby again." His voice was quiet, and he held still while Szayel cleaned him as best he could. When the Quinto sensed the scientist was done, he called just as quietly, "Hey Babe, how ya doin'?"

"Oh, Nnoi! Why couldn't you have just left?" She almost wailed, pulling herself up on the bars of her cage.

"We tried, Babe, honest. But yer brothers—he got 'em, and when Tesla, Yylfordt an' I tried ta get 'em back he got the other two. Thought I saw Tesla 'fore Saint Bitch shoved 'er finger in mah eye. He in here?" He swung his head from side to side as though he could still see, but all it did was get a few strands of his long black hair stuck in what Szayel couldn't clean off.

"Yesss, Nnoitra. He'sss here." A new voice, strained and from the opposite side of the lab table answered. "He ssseemsss to be unconsssciousss. Ssszayel, could you check him?" The current Tercera hung, suspended above the floor by brackets around her upper arms and thighs. She had nails driven through the fins of her tails, and her right arm was missing from the elbow down, where Tiburon had been forcibly torn from her body.

"Sure, Hal, but you shouldn't talk with your jaw still broken." The pink haired Arrancar crossed the room again. He spoke for Nnoitra's benefit, "He is unconscious. A single blow to the back of his head. Otherwise he appears to be in perfect condition." He was silent for a moment. "He is also with cub. Is it yours?"

"Nah. Yylfordt's. Heh. Bastard better make it ta take care o' that cub! I ain't takin' in his strays." The Quinto tried to cover a yawn by sucking his teeth again.

"Try to get some sleep, Nnoi. With luck, now that he's got your Zanpakutou he'll leave you alone like he has with Halibel, Starrk and Grimmjow." Nel's voice was tired as well.

Szayel tried to make Tesla more comfortable, though there wasn't much he could do with the stone floor. He had to settle with using his own lap as a pillow for the other male Beta. Leaning against the leg of the table where Starrk was knocked out, he surveyed the room. Two of them were so physically beaten that even if rescue came tomorrow they wouldn't be able to handle themselves. One wouldn't awake until some way was found to reunite him with his other half. Two were pregnant. And besides himself, the only capable fighter had been maimed beyond his ability to repair her. He shook his head slightly, hoping against hope that some of the other fraccion had escaped the clutches of the Shinigami scientist.

Over the next few days both Grimmjow and Tesla regained consciousness, but within a few hours of being awake the Sexta settled himself into a comfortable position and dove into himself. He stayed that way for the next several weeks while the others around him tried in vain to avoid being used as an experiment for the surely insane Shinigami.

Deep within the jungle of Grimmjow's mindscape, the feline Arrancar lay prone on a panel of blue glass. It was one of only a few signs that he still had a Beta somewhere waiting for him. He took a gasping breath and shuddered at the pain that carried over even into this place of non-reality. Blinking up at the branches of a large tree, he could almost see what the strawberry was doing. Had it really been ten weeks since the fucking Shinigami had messed with their world…AGAIN!

How he wished he could be there instead of in this living nightmare, but time and again, as he threw himself at the boundary between his mindscape and Ichigo's he found himself forced back. The integration between the two had not been completed. So, he needed the berry to be within his own mindscape to finish the bridge, or more appropriately he needed Pantera to fuck the berry's inner Hollow. Not that it could happen anymore now that she was off traipsing around after the Shinigami fucker like a trained pet. He snorted, wondering how long it would take before his wild and untamable Zanpakutou tore the throat out of the Shinigami that tried to domesticate her.

That sort of thinking was only going to get him worked up again, and he needed to conserve his energy, he knew, because without her in his soul it would only be a matter of time before he started to lose his abilities the same way Ulquiorra had. So, he contented himself with watching his strawberry interacting with the other Betas in the Living World and staying as close as he could to the pieces of his mindscape that weren't his own.

Over the last several days, while Ulquiorra had begun to be able to stay awake for most of the day, Ichigo had been feeling a drawing sensation within his mind. Almost as though someone was trying to contact him, but every time he asked Shiro about it, his pale copy could only say that somewhere at the edge of things was something he couldn't quite hear or see or sense. It was like the picture on a television with a loose cable, every so often they'd get a flash of clear picture but the rest of the time all they could sense was static.

The orangette sighed. He was once again relaxing on the cushions of the 'Beta Room', but for once he was alone. The others were all out with Rukia and Rangiku shopping for Orihime. He had been invited but he had no desire to be seen in public at the moment. Hacchi and Hyori had declined as well, but both were off doing something somewhere else, and Ichigo could begin to care about finding out what.

He rolled his neck and shoulders, then ran his hand down his front. Gone were the defined muscles of his abdomen. He didn't exactly have a bump per say, yet, but his washboard stomach had smoothed out over the last week and the stretch of skin below his navel had begun to be pushed outward. Three weeks away from the end of the first trimester, according to the book Orihime obsessed over, and though he was still nauseous and exhausted most of the time, the hardest part was a weight in his heart that told him that the whole time they were sitting around waiting for Soul Society to get their act together Grimmjow and the other Arrancar were suffering the same fate Ulquiorra had before escaping. He sighed again.

"Something on your mind, Berry-tan?" Mashiro broke through his thoughts and his line of vision by sticking her face over his.

He smirked and gave into the temptation to bat at her hair, which made her giggle. She was surprisingly good to talk to, and completely ignored his mood swings. So, after a moment of contemplation, he inhaled and began speaking everything that had just crossed his mind out loud. She sat and listened, nodding every so often.

He finished with, "And now I'm starting to show, which means that if we wait too much longer I won't be able to go with them. So, what do you think, Mashi?"

"Mashiro thinks that Berry-tan is closer than he thinks. Kensei-chan and Shinji-chan were talking about breaking into Hueco Mundo themselves yesterday, cuz Kisuke-chan says there's no reason why Soul Society can't get into the place. All of his instruments and stuffs say that the problem is from where we're trying to start the Garganta, not where it's going."

Ichigo sat up, almost knocking into the green haired Visored. "You mean, the only reason we've been unable to get into Hueco Mundo all this time is because we didn't have anyone on this side who could do it naturally!"

She appeared to think for a minute with her finger on her chin and her head tilted to the side. "Uh—yup!" She nodded.

Ichigo had pulled her out of the room and down into the underground chamber faster than she could blink, but not fast enough to stop or join the group heading into Hueco Mundo. He growled his frustration as he, and Mashiro, pulled up short next to Orihime and Ulquiorra as the Garganta closed. Kisuke was standing closer to it and looked up, tilting his hat back slightly.

"Ah, Ichigo-san, I was wondering how long it would take you to get here. I'm sorry you're a bit late though." The shopkeeper began to make his way over to the newly arrived pair but the furious reiatsu pouring off the orangette held him in place.

"Kurosaki, calm yourself." Ulquiorra intoned, flicking his tail in front of the Visored's face. When the stormy amber and gold eyes focused on his, he spoke again, "Betas do not fight unless they have to, expecting Betas especially. You will notice none of your fellow Betas went through the Garganta." He gestured to where Lisa, Rukia, Rangiku, and Hacchi were gathered beyond Kisuke. Ulquiorra's tone was placating, and the feel of his reiatsu, though still considerably weaker than normal, was soothing on the seething Beta. "It is an Alpha's job to protect the Betas of the pack, Kurosaki. To deny them that right would be to emasculate them in ways that go against everything it means to be a Hollow."

"Besides, Ichigo-kun, I'm sure they'll be back before we even notice they're missing. I mean, we know they're missing now but they be back before it bothers us I'm sure." Orihime smiled, trying to help as usual with her slightly oblivious babbling. She caught the somewhat worried and lost look on Mashiro's face and laughed nervously, "Not that having them gone doesn't bother us!" She waved her hands in front of her chest with the palms out, still laughing nervously until Ulquiorra placed a black furry hand on her shoulder. Then she looked at him and her own worries crossed her face.

"Go." Was all he said to her.

She nodded and took Mashiro's arm, who in turn pulled Ichigo, leading them both over to where the other girls were lounging. Rukia and Rangiku were pouring over the bags of baby stuff they'd bought, Hacchi was meditating, Hyori was playing some sort of game with Ururu and Jinta, and Lisa was trying very hard to read one of her manga tankobans. It was to her that Orihime brought Ichigo and Mashiro. The four sat in a small circle slightly separated from the others both in distance and position, as only these four really felt the loss of the Alphas.

It was some time before anything really changed. Kisuke and Tessai brought a fold-up table, cushions, food and drinks down from the store, then engaged Yoruichi and Renji in a game of cards. Byakuya returned from Soul Society but said nothing as all but Ichigo had been aware of his informing Yamamoto of Shinji's plan to storm Los Noches without Seireitei's help. The stoic noble brought a book of classic haikus out of a pocket in his haori and settled to wait slightly separated from everyone but closer to the girls than the table.

The peaceful air continued until Toshiro and Karin burst into the underground like the gates of Hell were trying to catch them. Everyone looked up at the intrusion with mixed levels of curiosity and alarm. The captain of the Tenth was missing his hakama-himo and sword belt, opting to carry Hyourinmaru by the sheath. Karin was wrapped in his haori and nothing else.

"Karin, what happened?" Ichigo asked, but didn't leave the safety of his circle of Betas.

Surprisingly the black-haired girl dove at him, hugging him tightly and as close to crying as he'd ever seen her. Toshiro followed behind, but was wary of approaching what he was sure to be an overprotective older brother.

When neither gave any sort of answer, the orangette scowled. He felt the girl in his arms trembling, though from rage, fear, or withheld anguish he wasn't sure. Looking from his sister to the shortest captain, his demanded with a slight growl, "What happened, Toshiro?"

The change in his voice brought closer attention from the girls he'd bonded with. Lisa, Mashiro and Orihime joined him in staring down the white-haired captain, who gulped and suddenly found himself more nervous than before.

"Uh, it's yer dad, Kurosaki." Toshiro wiped his palms on his shihakusho, feeling much closer to his physical age than his true one. "H-he caught us—uh—yanno." He cleared his throat.

"Ichi-nii, he's horrible!" Karin whipped her head up to catch her brother's scowl. "He threw us both out of the house. Told me that if I was gonna whore myself out like y-you did that I didn't need to be living at home." To her credit she only hiccupped once, but the trembling of her shoulders never stopped.

"I'm going to ignore the fact that you're sitting on my lap after having just had sex, but didn't he even let you grab any clothing?" Disbelief was written across the faces of most of the people gathered around the young couple. Ichigo shook his head, already aware of the answer to his question, "At least tell me you used protection?"

Karin scoffed, "Of course! Y'think I'm stupid? I don't wanna be a mom yet." To which Toshiro blushed deeply.

"Urahara-san, would you and Yoruichi-sama come with us to get Karin some clothes?" Ichigo looked over at the two.

"Why don't we all go?" Orihime asked, and Rukia and Rangiku nodded in agreement.

Ichigo shook his head again, "No, somebody has to stay here for when the Al-uh-others get back." He sighed deeply, which had a mixed effect. The few other Betas that were getting worked up with him relaxed, but Karin winced, as the button on his jeans popped, shooting her in the side.

The siblings looked down, the older blushing and the younger smirking. Before he could say anything she pulled his tee shirt up, "Lemme see! Yuzu's gonna be so jealous!" This motion forced the orangette to lean back on his hands, his little sister holding his shirt up around his ribs with one hand while laying her other hand against the smoothed skin of his midsection. With the button on his jeans popped, the fact that the flesh there was beginning to pooch out was more obvious because of the indentation where the top of the zipper sat pressed against his skin. Karin squealed, he was sure for the first time in her life, and gently drawing her hand around the change in her brother's stomach.

Rangiku chirped, "You've finally popped, Ichi!" and Rukia joined the squealing.

Before he could answer her, Mashiro cooed, leaning over his shoulder with a smile, "Just wait 'til later, right, Berry-tan?"

Orihime smiled too, rubbing her own bump. "Yeah." She giggled, "In a couple weeks he'll really be showing."

"I can't wait." Ichigo rolled his eyes, his tone half sarcasm. "Can we go get Karin clothing now?"

"Yes, please?" Toshiro looked downright uncomfortable, trying to focus on anything other than his girlfriend's position as the way she was kneeling gave him a wonderful of her posterior draped in the white fabric of his haori.

Byakuya appeared next to the pile of Betas and peered down at the orangette in the middle, "Kurosaki, perhaps you would like to change first?"

The object of everyone's attention blushed deeply and muttered something that only Karin could hear. So while she fell back onto her heels laughing, Lisa raised an eyebrow, "What was that, Berry-chan?"

He gritted his teeth, avoiding the entertained eyes of both Kisuke and Renji, "I said it's more comfortable this way, so no, I'm not going to change." That set off another round of fangirl squealing and laughter from the less feminine females. To their credit the boys mostly looked amused, except Toshiro, who still looked like he'd swallowed a lemon whole.

The orangette took the moment of mirth and freedom to stand up, thankful that his tee-shirt covered the fact that his pants were unfastened. He straightened his shirt and sighed as it clung in places it normally wouldn't. He supposed he should get used to it, but damnit all if he wasn't going to give that confounded panther a piece of his mind when he finally got his hands on the sex god. "Come on, Karin, let's go." He walked with a purpose that sent chills down the spines of most of the Betas in the group.

Just before Kisuke, Yoruichi and Karin followed him, Lisa made the comment, "He's finally coming into his power." Which drew Mashiro into a fit of giggles, and sent knowing smiles on both Orihime and Hyori's faces. Rangiku and Rukia looked a little confused, but a look at Byakuya, who raised an eyebrow of the edge of his book, made them turn to each other and mouth the word 'oh' with a smile.

Outside the Kurosaki residence, Ichigo took a deep breath and strode up to the door with Kisuke and Yoruichi flanking him. Karin hung back, still wrapped in Toshiro's haori, while the orangette pounded on the door. It was a bit surreal having to knock on his childhood home, but Shiro whispered in his mind that he had to be invited into the non-family Alpha's territory after having been chased off the last time he was here.

When Yuzu opened the door his stance softened somewhat and he returned her hug gratefully, but the peace was broken when Isshin cleared his throat behind his blonde daughter. The ex-Shinigami looked older than Ichigo remembered, lines around his eyes and mouth more pronounced and a weariness in his eyes that had always been kept at bay by his goofy antics and overall optimistic attitude. Sensing the tension between father and son, Yuzu pushed her way past her brother and the candy shop owner her friends lived with to get to her sister.

"I know why you're here." Isshin stated, standing firmly in the doorway. "She'll be allowed to come home if she stops seeing that boy."

"No." Ichigo met his father's eye with a deep scowl, his resolve the only thing in his eyes and only his markings showing that there was anything different about him. Before his old man could say anything more, he said, "We're just here for clothing. We whores have to stick together."

Yuzu flinched and clutched her sister tighter. She marveled at the strength her brother seemed to have built since last she saw him. She could hardly pay attention to what Karin was muttering in her ear, but she smiled nevertheless when she heard about his pants button.

Ichigo was still talking, "If you think for one moment that I'd let either of my sisters stay here when they aren't wanted you've got another thing coming. Your words don't scare me, old man." He took a step forward, pressing into his father's personal space slightly. "Now, move and we'll be gone before you can even come up with an answer."

The power radiating from his son was enough to make Isshin pause, and that was all the moment Ichigo needed as he brushed past his father. This left Kisuke and Yoruichi to glare at their comrade. "What?" He snapped.

Yoruichi shook her head, and Kisuke clucked his tongue. "You're making a mistake, Isshin. Completely ignoring this thing with Ichigo, you hand chose Toshiro to succeed you in the Tenth. You can't tell me you don't have faith in the boy?"

"I chose him for my division, Kisuke, not for my daughter. My still human daughter! You know for a fact he wouldn't be allowed to do what I did, and I refuse to lose all of my children to the Soul Society." The years weighed on the man in the doorway.

"Just because things were such that you couldn't handle the distance when you were younger doesn't mean that things haven't changed, Isshi-kun." Yoruichi reached out to put her hand on the dark-haired man's shoulder, but he flinched back. "A lot has happened since Aizen's defeat, and most of it has to do with your son. You know how strong he is, how powerful. Why does it matter who—"

"Save it. He won't listen." Ichigo pushed back passed his father, glaring out of the corner of his eyes. "Here, Kare-chan." He held out a duffle bag. "I brought enough that you could come with us, Yuzu, but I won't force you." His eyes said he wanted her to, but he knew in his heart that she'd stay.

"Somebody has to take care of Otousan." She smiled sadly. "Daisuki desu, Onii-chan, Karin-chan. I'll swing by after school sometimes to say hi." She gave them each a hug, and spent a moment petting her brother's stomach. "Take care of Mei-chan." Then she moved back to stand in front of their father.

One last look from Kisuke and Yoruichi and Isshin turned away from the foursome. Ichigo moved off with Karin, not looking back even once until he felt his father's reiatsu back away from the door. Then he turned and smiled with a wave at Yuzu. Karin followed suit and at that their sister returned inside the home.

"Ichigo-chan," Kisuke started while they walked back to the shoten, "I don't mean to be a rainy cloud on your wonderful new strength but I think it might be prudent to point out that things are getting a bit crowded back at home?" He waved his fan in front of his face as the orangette turned to look at him with equally orange eyebrows shot up into spiky fringe.

"I didn't even think about that." The hybrid looked between the shopkeeper and the feline woman, "With Karin here now, she and I can move back into my apartment if that would make things easier." Yoruichi paled at that idea.

"Oh no, no, I didn't mean anyone had to leave, Berry-chan." Kisuke waved his fan again, and Karin snickered at the nickname. "Just that I think we'll have to start a tent city in the underground if we get any more bodies lying around the shop."

Ichigo still looked worried, his brows now furrowed, "But, if there are that many mouths to feed, it can't be easy on your stores, Urahara-san. I suppose I should get a job anyway." He put his hand on his stomach lightly, "I mean I'll have to support myself on my own eventually, right?" Again he looked between the two.

Yoruichi flung her arm across the orangette's shoulders, "Ichi-chan, you don't quite get the idea of being part of a pack do you?"

Karin had tears running down her cheeks from holding in her laughter at her brother's vacant expression. "Geez, Ichi-nii, you're so clueless!" That earned her a glare of her own, but all it got him was another round of side splitting laughter.

"What your sister and Yoruichi are trying to say, my dear boy, is that you will never be alone in this. Even should the worst possible thing happen, you will always have the other Betas you've bonded with to support you. On top of their physical help, the Soul Society still has you on their payroll, yes?" The orangette nodded, and the shopkeeper mimicked him, "They have stipends and bonuses for expecting mothers and parents with children. I dare say you won't be able to live like royalty but between your salary, and your extended family, you'll do fine. You could probably even move out of that drafty apartment you were calling home." The target of their conversation absently drew his hand across his stomach again, frowning lightly in contemplation.

They stopped at a noodle shop halfway between the shoten and the house, and brought dinner for the mob staying with them back to the underground. Nobody had moved much, except for Toshiro who was trying desperately to not be drawn into Rangiku's re-hashing of the baby things she and the other girls bought.

Orihime took her bowl from Kisuke and she and Ulquiorra retreated to their bedroom to eat and have some time alone, since while the shopkeeper was gone, Ulquiorra was the only Alpha acknowledged by all of the Betas in the cavern. That meant he'd felt obligated to keep an eye on the rest of the crowd, and it had been taxing on the still recuperating Arrancar. Byakuya did something similar, taking two portions to a more secluded corner near the main gathering fully expecting his life-partner to follow him. The red-head did quickly, leaving Rukia to snicker and Rangiku leaned over to whisper, "Whipped" into the ebony haired midget's ear. Toshiro dished two servings for himself and Karin, then decided to include Ururu, Hyori and Jinta since his girlfriend was friends with them. Though the red-head and the Visored got into an argument over which seat they'd take. By the time Karin came down to join them his eyebrow was twitching. The rest of the noodles were divided equally among the rest, ignoring the protesting from various places around the training ground. Soon enough all the voices were quieted in exchange for the sounds of chopsticks and spoons against the sides of bowls as dinner quelled all arguments. And when dinner began to wind down, quiet descended as each person went back to doing whatever they had been doing before the disruption.

At least, until a Garganta tore itself across the basement and spat Shinji, Halibel, Szayel, and Tesla carrying Nel onto the rocky ground. As soon as they all touched ground, Shinji rushed to gather Mashiro and Lisa to him while Szayel and Halibel took Nel, who was unconscious, from an openly weeping Tesla. Sensing something similar to what Ichigo was going through, Yoruichi was the first to wrap the blonde Arrancar in an embrace, though the orangette felt the same pull to comfort the newcomers.

The confusion in the air brought Shinji's head out of the circle of green and black hair. He, too, had tears in his eyes when he spoke, "We have proof, Kissu."

* * *

**Belly Report:**  
Ichigo – 10 weeks  
Orihime – 29 weeks  
Nel – 5 weeks  
Tesla – 4 weeks


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Just so nobody's confused, the beginning of this chapter takes place at the same time as the majority of the last chapter. This is what happened when Shinji and the Visoreds invaded Los Noches. Enjoy, minna! ;3

* * *

Chapter 7 - Rescue?

Arriving in Hueco Mundo proved to be the easy part. Shinji gestured as they touched down and Kensei, Love and Rose spread out to flank him. The foursome took off into the desert towards the somewhat damaged and inverted silhouette of Los Noches in silence. Just as the shape filled their vision Kensei was knocked off of his feet. He spun back, both feet tangled in a cord with heavy spheres on the ends, with a grunt, and landed in the sand. This pulled the other three up short.

"Kensei!" Shinji called.

Then Love cried out and when the blonde leader whipped around he saw the black man caught in the same kind of rope around his chest.

"Love!" Torn between the two, Shinji didn't know which to help first.

A voice echoed out over the wasteland, "My, my, Hirako Shinji. I should have expected a tainted soul like you and your _pack_ would sympathize with the filth in my labs."

"Kurotsuchi! Yer behind this?!" The blonde Visored leader growled, spinning back towards the castle.

Standing on a dune just before them were the vice-captain and third seat of the Twelfth Division. Nemu was down on one knee with a bazooka type weapon on her shoulder that was faintly smoking, and Akon carried a black kido-style box with faintly glowing purple edges. Both looked impassive with a touch of regret.

"Yer s'posed ta be dead! All of ya went through the Garganta from Soul Society. I watched yer trackers disappear without emergin' here." Shinji glared. He did not like to be deceived, especially now.

The voice of Mayuri Kurotsuchi laughed mirthlessly from wherever it was being projected. "Of course they did. I instructed my faithful followers to discard them as soon as I was certain the rip had closed behind us. Central 46 is weak, and too guilt ridden to truly see things as they are. Aizen's experiment was delightfully organized. Did you know, Hirako-san, that all Hollows have the potential for breeding? That the disgusting creatures have been doing so for centuries?! Their filthy offspring crawl all over the desert, having never been a real soul. Just bits and pieces of reishi meshed together into the form of a new being. It's fascinating."

"That's why you've locked yourself up here? To study Hollow breeding patterns?" The slow tones of the only other standing Visored entered the conversation, as Rose let his hand drift ever so slightly towards his blade.

"No, no. That was merely a delightful side-effect of my presence here. Though captivating information, my purpose here is entirely different." He seemed to know that Shinji planned to say something because he immediately followed that with, "Now, don't go asking questions. You'll see soon enough what I've been able to accomplish. Akon!"

The third seat almost looked apologetic as he tossed the box up into the air. The kido sides exploded with an ear-splitting scream and a green-skinned, female humanoid with four arms dove on insectoid wings at Shinji. She screamed a second time, the parts of her tongue vibrating between fangs that dripped. She was dressed in leather hot pants and bustier with a thick metal collar around her neck, and held a double-bladed scythe in each hand, all four poised to slice the pack leader's head off as soon as she was in range. Seeing this was her objective Rose jumped in the way, his sword drawn to catch the scythes.

The insect-woman screamed again as the pair tumbled through the sand with her momentum. She sprang back, chittering, gathering her strength in legs that did not end in feet, but in rounded stumps with wicked looking spikes jutting back from where her calves curved. The wind whipped her long silvery-green hair, and she glared with faceted glowing sunset colored eyes that had no pupil or sclera. She made a raspy chattering noise that sounded somewhere between a cricket's chirp and the tail of a rattlesnake. Then she launched herself at Rose again, swinging her scythes violently.

Again the wavy blonde Visored caught her blades with his own. Seeing Shinji tense from the corner of his eye, he yelled, "Get Love and Kensei and take those two down! I can handle her."

The pack leader hesitated a moment more, then dove toward Love as Nemu fired her bazooka again. The bollo spun over his head to land heavily in the sand just beyond where he had been moments before. He noted that she had to take time to reload the weapon, and took advantage of that reprieve to use Sakanade to slice through the ropes binding the black Visored's arms. Across the dune from the pair, Kensei had freed his feet from his restraints and was in the process of attacking Akon, who had flash stepped between the white-haired Visored and his vice-captain. This left Nemu's other side open, and as she lined up to take a shot at Rose, both Shinji and Love tackled her.

The bazooka fired again when it hit the sands, but it caught the attacking insect around her torso, slamming her into the ground. Her collar snapped in several pieces at the force of the impact and she went still. If Rose was surprised he didn't show it, but he did pick himself up from where he'd been knocked down by one of her scythes against his shoulder. The wound was bleeding but wasn't serious. He stepped up to the captured insect and contemplated her unconscious form.

Shinji grasped Nemu around the waist, and Love had her legs. The dark-haired woman blinked down at them as though she was processing the fact that she'd been attacked while they flew through the air. Neither Visored noticed when she twisted her foot to bring her lower leg through Love's grip and strike Shinji in the side. He gasped and fell back from her, which gave the android the freedom to take Love down and pin him when they landed. She quickly wrapped the black man's arms in a binding kido and removed his Zanpakutou.

She was in the process of breaking the blade when Kensei and Akon crashed into her, both with dagger-style Zanpakutou. The scientist had a grip on Kensei's shirt trying to pull him closer to where his sword arm was being held back from stabbing the white-haired Visored in the gut. Kensei's blade pressed against Akon's throat, and his hand on the scientist's arm was bruising in its attempt to save his mid-section. They tumbled over the vice-captain and only slamming the scientist against a convenient crystal tree saved Kensei from the worst of the damage of the impact. But even as his opponent fell into unconsciousness, the blade of the other dagger sliced through the soft flesh of his stomach. Again it wasn't a deep slice, but it hurt like a bitch and was bleeding pretty badly.

Nemu had been thrown for a loop, but was back on her feet and diving at Kensei when Shinji deflected her drill-like hand. She still looked apathetic but the Visored leader snarled at her. "Why are you doing this!?"

"Father has instructed me to detain you. He will remove your taint. It is why we are here." She answered in monotone.

Shinji shook his head as they clashed hand versus blade. The idea that his Hollow could be removed was tempting, but after a hundred and five years with the bastard he'd grown rather fond of it. Besides, knowing Kurotsuchi, the scientist bastard would make the whole process as painful and drawn out as possible. So, thanks but no thanks, as far as Shinji was concerned, and if he wasn't willing to do it, he wasn't about to let any of his packmates go through it. Things were going fairly well for the half-Hollows, and until Mayuri had loused it up, the Soul Society and the Living World had been experiencing a kind of peace that hadn't been enjoyed in over two centuries.

"AUGH!" He yelled in her face, shoving the vice-captain against another of the skeletal trees sticking out of the sands. He had Sakanade pressing her drill-hand against her chest so the spinning point was aimed up over her shoulder.

She brought her other hand around to grab his neck and drove her knee into the same side she'd assaulted before. He gasped in pain and buckled. In her new freedom Nemu reversed their positions, causing a branch of the tree to slice through Shinji's sword shoulder because of their height difference. Dropping Sakanade, he grabbed her kimono near the waist and pulled her closer; too close to effectively use her drill. As was typical she did not have her Zanpakutou with her, and so once her hand was entangled in the tree she was disarmed. Shinji ignored the tearing of his shoulder to duck out and around the slim vice-captain, his other hand gripping her other wrist. He pushed her into the tree further, pinning her non-spinning hand up behind her back. It wasn't typical hakudo but surviving a hundred years in the Living World had taught the Visoreds some street fighting techniques.

The second her flesh touched the tree, Nemu realized why the blonde Visored captain had grabbed her kimono. He used his body weight to keep her pressed against the tree, and lashed her obi to tie her there with her arm pinned up and behind her back. Due to the tangle of crystal-like branches her drill was stuck, even when she stopped spinning it. She tried to kick behind her but that brought rough stone-like bark against a few very sensitive places.

He stood back with a piano-tooth grin. "I'm certain yer father will be 'round to set ya free before we leave, but in case he doesn't, Kurotsuchi Nemu yer under arrest fer treason against the Soul Society. Now hang tight, an' we'll be back in a bit." He walked off to check on his teammates.

Kensei had knocked Akon out by slamming the scientist in the face with his own, and subsequently had three slices in his forehead where the third seat's horns had cut him open. His stomach was sliced, and he had numerous bruises. Love was virtually unharmed, though his back would sport a bruise from where he'd landed on one of the balls of the bollo Nemu used to tie him up the second time. Rose had the most shallow cuts from what the insect-woman had done between her scythes and the sharp hooks on her legs, but also had a slice in his shoulder, similar to Shinji's, and, of course, bruises.

"Alright, let's move before Kurotsuchi comes up with somethin' else ta throw at us." Shinji grabbed Sakanade from the ground with a mental apology, and sheathed it. Then he set off to cross the distance left between them and Los Noches at a flash step. The other three followed immediately.

None of Visoreds noticed the insect-woman glaring at them with intelligence in her previously wild eyes. A Hollow lizard that looked like a gecko with a skull mask crawled into her peripheral vision and her top right hand snapped out to grab the creature, similar hooks on her forearm slicing through the ropes of the bollo. She ripped the lizard's head and torso off with one bite, and continued to glare at the retreating Visoreds. Her wings fluttered as they settled against her back, and she pushed herself up with both left hands. She ate the other half of the lizard in a second single bite, and climbed to her feet, fluttering her wings again.

Within the stone walls of Los Noches, locked in shackles that were the only thing keeping him falling over onto his face, the unconscious form of Nnoitra shuddered. His once luminous long hair was tangled and matted, dried blood smeared across his face and his already lithe body was gaunt and pocked with hollows where the flesh had sunk between his bones. Next to him on the wall, Grimmjow wasn't much better, though instead of unconscious he was still locked deep within his mindscape, still pressing against the infernal barrier that kept him from reaching his mate. To the outside world, both looked almost dead. On the table Starrk burned up in fever, the gash across his middle green and purple, swollen with infection. Along the opposite wall, Halibel hung next to Yylfordt, their injuries seemingly nothing in comparison to the other three. Though the female was beginning to show the same wasting away that the Quinto, the Sexta and the Primera were displaying. On the floor, Tesla clung to Yylfordt's foot, at the very end of his chain. He was attached to the cage that contained Nel, and but for the longing in his posture, he was mostly unharmed, sporting only a few bruises. The green-haired woman was pressed against the side of the cage closest to Nnoitra, though she had no hope of touching her Alpha from there. Other than the small distortion in her middle that showed where their cub grew, she was just as thin as the others. Without Nnoitra's reiatsu feeding the fetus, Nel was forced to feed it herself, which was starving her. Szayel took all of this in from his hiding spot. He didn't come out much now that his reiatsu was starting to be depleted from his own infections. The entire room was silent, the atmosphere heavy with despair and resignation.

At that moment the wall between Szayel and Nnoitra exploded and light flooded the dingy room. Those that were awake froze and stared at the intrusion. Framed in the artificial sunlight of the external parts of Los Noches were the Visoreds.

"Holy shit." Shinji swore, taking in the scene before him.

"Wh-who are you?" Szayel croaked from his now exposed corner.

Kensei, already with his mask on from having helped Love bust out the wall, crossed the room ignoring the pink-haired form. He didn't care who anybody was, his inner Hollow told him that these were brothers and sisters and that was all he needed to know. Love joined him and together the two of them slammed into the shackles holding Halibel against the wall. The white-haired Visored caught her.

"Can you stand?" He asked, his voice distorted. She nodded, her jaw painful to move from healing wrong. Setting her down, he and Love moved on to Yylfordt. The blonde nodded his thanks, and joined them in freeing his fellows, beginning with Tesla, who leapt into his arms crying.

Shinji, supporting Szayel, asked, "Yer mate I'm guessing?"

"Yes. And that is my brother. Who are you?" Yylfordt echoed the Octava's question.

"Friends." Was all the blonde pack leader would say. They didn't have time. He knew the broken wall would set off alarms, and after facing that insect from earlier, the Visoreds had no desire to hang around finding out what other toys Mayuri had cooked up.

Yylfordt nodded skeptically, but set Tesla next to his brother so he could join the two Visoreds attacking Nel's cage. With his added strength, even not being in resurrection form, they shattered the bars easily. The green-haired woman hobbled, using a long piece of the cage as a crutch for her missing foot, over to Nnoitra. She nuzzled him, but he didn't react. Her hazel eyes filled with tears.

"I can't reach him." She whimpered, looking from Alpha to Alpha in the room.

Rose placed a hand on Shinji's shoulder. "They're coming." He intoned, concern on his face.

"_Right. Stay with these two._" The pack leader pulled on his mask and joined the three. Love and Yylfordt tore Nnoitra's chains from the wall; Shinj and Kensei did the same with Grimmjow's. "_Rose an' blonde girl, help the one with no foot. Pinky lean on blonde Beta boy. Uh, Love, can ya handle stick man on yer own? Somebody's gotta get the corpse on the table._"

Yylfordt stepped up after the black Visored nodded, and picked Starrk up from the table. "Let's go."

As they made their way across the bright sands towards the break in the wall, they almost thought they were going to make it. Until a shadow crossed over head. They didn't look up but couldn't move any faster with their burdens. So they were easy pickings when the shadow swooped down and knocked Yylfordt off his feet, snatching Starrk away from the blonde fraccion. Halibel growled, but weighed down with Nel she couldn't do anything. Kensei hefted Grimmjow over his shoulder, and Love made to set Nnoitra down.

"_No!_" Shinji yelled, "_Ya all make it out to the desert. Get through to Kisuke an' the others. I'll save the corpse._" He flash stepped after the shadow.

When it doubled back, now free of its burden, the pack leader got a better look. It was a pale man with large bat wings and ears. He had long, stringy black hair, and his arms from the elbows down and his lower half were covered in black fur with wicked claws on both fingers and toes. From the top of his head a pair of twisted, sweeping horns arced back, and the base of his spine sported an incredibly long tail with a tuft of fur on the end. His chest had a black marking like a circle that bled down his front, and his eyes were gold on black with stripes of black running down his face like tears. His appearance was so similar that Shinji was held back for a moment.

"_Ulquiorra?_" He asked, frowning.

That hesitation was all the figure needed to make another run at the fleeing group. This time, he snatched Nnoitra away from Love. He was faster than Shinji had ever seen the Espada ever go. The bat-like man was able to made a third successful trip, carrying off Grimmjow, before Shinji could get in his way, sword drawn.

Sakanade met those vicious claws, and Shinji shouted, "_Ulquiorra, why are ya doin' this? How are ya here?!_"

"My name is Murcielago. Ulquiorra was the trash that failed to wield me effectively. Now move, or I will cut you down." The monotone voice was an exact duplicate of the stoic Espada Shinji knew.

"_I won't let ya pick 'em off like flies._" The blonde Visored tried to shake off the feeling of astonishment.

The bat blinked. "No." Then he drew back and shot at top speed towards the pack leader. Shinji barely had the time to bring his Zanpakutou up in defense before those ebony claws were at his throat. They traded blows, backing off to crash together, again and again, sending sparks down on the group below, and the clang of metal echoing through the expanse of artificial daylight. Twice Murcielago almost broke through Shinji's defense, and the Visored bore gashes across his injured shoulder and arm for it. His shirt was in tatters now and sweat gleamed against his skin, matting his blonde hair to his forehead. The black sword spirit showed no signs of tiring at all, and after a moment's consideration, sped forward again to slam Shinji into the wall of the building behind him.

His breath was knocked out of his body, but at the last second he'd angled Sakanade to slice through the bat's midsection. Now, as he was pinned against the stone, contemplative curiosity filled the gold eyes of his opponent as he stared at the place where the sword was embedded into his flesh.

"Odd." Was the monotone comment. "I had thought pain would be more distracting than this."

"Heh." Shinji smirked. "I'm just gettin' started, fuzzy." He spat blood that had trickled into his mouth from a cut on his cheek he hadn't noticed into Murcielago's face.

Momentarily blinded the bat let up on his pressure somewhat, so Shinji was able to pulled his sword out and around. "Taorero, Sakanade." Gripping the inside of the ring that was the blade's pommel, Shinji spun the blade.

A pink mist surrounded the bat and when the gold eyes of the creature opened again, from his perspective the world was upside down. He tilted his head and a flash of something went through his expression.

Shinji attacked, coming from the opposite side of where Murcielago saw him, to slice the bat's arm, but he didn't move, merely allowed the Visored to cut him. "I see." He said and closed his eyes.

The pack leader smirked, "That won't help." He attacked again but this time the bat dodged. Shock flashed across his face for a moment, but he glared and simply attacked again. Again, the bat dodged. When several more strikes had the same result, he yelled, "Just give up, beast. You can't attack something you can't sense and eventually you won't dodge fast enough."

"I can sense you." Murcielago opened his eyes and gave the first hint of emotion, a small curl of smile. "I am a bat. I live in a world where up is down. I do not need my sense of sight to see you." He let out a series of popping almost beep-like sounds.

"Echolocation." Shinji glared deeper.

In that moment they were clashing again, sword and claws, blood flying, stones thrown, and wind whipping around them from the force of their strikes. It no longer mattered if the world was right side up or upside down. After a short while, Shinji caught the position of the group from the corner of his eye. He twisted, pulling Sakanade back, and slamming both feet into the bat's chest. He zoomed toward the group, ignoring his opponent. The Garganta was open and Szayel and Tesla were already entering.

As such, Shinji didn't notice Murcielago charging Lanza Del La Luna behind him. Yylfordt turned back at that moment and saw the incoming attack. The blonde Arrancar leapt from the ground, and Love followed with Kensei and Rose on his heels. Halibel held Nel at the entrance of the Garganta. Just then a half-naked Nemu appeared from one of the buildings with her bazooka.

A bollo-style, weighted net fired at the three Visoreds in the air, snatching them before they could reach Shinji. The three slammed into the wall of a building, entangled in the kido-laced ropes, stronger than the bollos the vice-captain had used before. Shinji roared, and angled Sakande to change his direction. He saw the green light from Murcielago's attack out of the corner of his eyes this way, but ignored it until the weight of a bull slammed into him.

Yylfordt grabbed the blonde pack leader and whispered, "Take care of my cub." Then he threw the Visored at full strength into the Garganta. Shinji was like a pool cue. He slammed into Halibel, who pushed Nel into Tesla's arms, who in turn knocked into Szayel and the crash angled them all to watch as Lanza Del La Luna impaled the blonde bull through the chest with an explosion of green light as the rip closed behind them.

By the time they landed in Kisuke's basement, Tesla was sobbing, clinging to Nel like a life line. Shinji gathered the Betas of the Visored pack to him, in an apology for not bringing Kensei, Rose and Love back with him. But now they could go to Yamamoto and demand that Central allow the use of the Shinigami to take Mayuri down. Assaulting the Arrancar was still not quite illegal, since they were technically still Hollows, but Nemu had actively attacked three captains of the Gotei 13. That meant that Mayuri could officially be labeled a traitor, and brought to justice.

Ichigo held Nel while Hacchi bolstered Orihime's Soten Kisshun. The seafoam green head rested against the orangette's shoulder watching the regrowth of her foot. Halibel's jaw was fixed easily, and the infection Szayel suffered was cleared as well. Both now sat with Ichigo and Hacchi. Yoruichi still had Tesla in her arms, and the blonde was inconsolable. The Shinigami gathered in the basement were uncomfortable, but more because they were unsure of what to do or say than the presence of the new Arrancar. The mood was somber.

The orange-haired hybrid broken the uneasy silence. "So what happened to Kensei and the rest?" The Betas in the room all knew exactly what he was asking, and none of them would meet his searching gaze.

The fights with both the insect woman and Murcielago were explained to the gathered group. Ulquiorra shifted uncomfortably at the knowledge that it had been his Zanpakutou to have caused Tesla such pain. After making the report, Shinji moved off to confer with Kisuke, Byakuya, Renji and Rukia. Ulquiorra joined them as well after making sure that Orihime was fine after healing the injured Arrancar.

This left the Betas in the room to gather together. Once again Ichigo was on the bottom, this time with Nel and Tesla curled into his lap. Hacchi sat behind him, a living cushion for him to lean against, in turn leaning against a rock. Halibel, uncertain of her place, and still feeling vulnerable because Orihime couldn't replace her arm while Tiburon was separate from her, held back until the female orangette pulled her into a hug and wrapped them both around Nel. Lisa and Mashiro took the other side, curling around Tesla. Hyori plopped herself across the middle with her head on Ichigo's knees, and Yoruichi shrank to cat form in order to fit into the hollow on Ichigo's thighs where the three main bodies on top of him left a space. Szayel also hesitated, but Hyori glared up at him.

"Get in here, Baldy." She yanked the pink-haired Beta into the pile, which sort of scattered everyone a bit until arms and legs were organized and all eleven Betas were comfortable woven in and around each other in the largest Beta-pile any of them had ever seen. Ichigo just had that way of drawing people in. It didn't matter that they were two different packs, they were all Betas, and that was what mattered.

After a few moments Ichigo made a noise, and all eyes trained on him. He looked around at the gazes that met his mismatched one. "_I think we've sat back long enough._" Murmured agreements mingled with confusion and apprehension. He continued. "_The Alphas think we should just sit back and let them handle this. They think because we're Betas we should be left behind, protected and locked away in the den. Shiro and I think we should show them why Betas need to be weakened to mate._" One gold eye on black sclera and one amber eye shifted to meet a collection of brown, hazel, yellow, and turquoise. All of them glowed with resolve as the collective mindscape created by the Beta-pile allowed Shiro to share his plan to storm Los Noches and rescue the missing Alphas with all of them at once. As soon as it was laid out, eleven heads turned as one to where the Shinigami were conferring with Shinji and Ulquiorra.

The Shinigami took Shinji to Yamamoto to explain what had happened to the Central 46. Orihime, being the furthest into her pregnancy, couldn't risk travelling through the Garganta. So she took Ulquiorra up to their room under the pretense that all of this excitement had bothered her and she needed her Alpha to make it better. She had no protest about being left behind because she knew she needed to get her rest before the other victims were brought back. Kisuke was easy to convince to seclude himself in his labs attempting to discover exactly what Mayuri had done to Szayel, Halibel, and Ulquiorra. The pink-haired scientist happily joined him as a test subject, fully willing to throw himself into experiments to ignore the last few months of torture and deprivation. Hacchi, with the help of Nel and a despondent Tesla, set up a triage, hidden behind an outcropping of rocks that formed an almost cave. The kido master was easily able to close the place off and sterilize it in preparation of what was to come. This left Lisa, Hyori, Halibel, Yoruichi, Mashiro, and Ichigo to slip into Hueco Mundo without any of the Alphas being the wiser.

The sands of Hueco Mundo shifted slightly under his feet. Tensa Zangetsu rested comfortably in his hand, and the robe of his Bankai was less constricting than he'd feared. Mismatched eyes swept across the barren landscape, alert for anything threats. Being all Betas, he and his team of five were able to hide their reiatsu completely, in spite of all but one of them being in Bankai form. The moonlight glinted off of ebony steel and he nodded. The Visoreds in the group summoned their masks, and they took off.

The Arrancar in their midst hung back, the energy to summon a Garganta at her fingertips in case of trouble. Ichigo took point, with Halibel directly behind him, as they flash stepped in an almost diamond shape. To his right Yoruichi and Hyori; to his left Lisa and Mashiro. There was no joking around, no distraction, nothing but focus. Los Noches wouldn't know what hit them.

* * *

**Belly Report:**  
Ichigo – 10 weeks  
Orihime – 29 weeks  
Nel – 5 weeks  
Tesla – 4 weeks


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** WARNING! Violence and language! We got angry Betas in this chapter, need any more explanation than that?

* * *

Chapter 8 - Storming Los Noches

The wall to the laboratory went down easily under the combined force of Getsuga Tensho, three Ceros and Yoruichi's shunko. When the debris cleared, the members of the Twelfth that had followed Mayuri into the desert didn't stand a chance. The Beta group dove into the throng, and worked like a well-oiled machine. Ichigo, Lisa, Hyori and Mashiro sped around the room grabbing stunned Shinigami before they could react. Yoruichi, having been captain of the Onmitsukido, locked them all away in reiatsu-eating kido bindings to be taken to the Soul Society upon returning to the Living World. It took until the entire area was entirely clear of unseated assistants before Akon appeared, sporting a bandage around his head and a glare.

"Ryoka, I don't want to do this. Kurotsuchi-Taicho would much rather you and your friends surrender peacefully to experimentation than to have you damaged in your attempts to defeat us." He sounded genuinely remorseful, but Ichigo glared at him from behind his mask.

"_Fuck you._"

Hyori, Lisa and Mashiro launched themselves at the third seat, roaring. This was one of the ones who'd attacked their Alphas! Zanpakutou were discarded in favor of physically getting their hands on him. Mashiro landed on his head, and wrapped her legs around his neck, as Hyori caught him in the gut with her head, and Lisa slid his legs out from under him. The mash-up flew into the wall behind them, unfortunately knocking the wind out of the green-haired Visored. Akon scrambled out of the headlock, attempting to get back on his feet so he could draw his Zanpakutou, but Hyori was faster, grabbing his arm and sinking her teeth into it through her mask. Lisa took his other arm and broke it without blinking.

The scientist Shinigami howled, tears now running down his face. Lisa was about to move on to his leg when Ichigo put a hand on her shoulder. The two exchanged a look, and Yoruichi was allowed to splint Akon's arm and bind him. Ultimately it wasn't his fault, and they needed to remember that.

Stalking through the corridors of Los Noches, Ichigo kept all of his senses alert. Half of his team had returned to the Living World to ensure the prisoners wouldn't escape. Lisa, Mashiro and Halibel stuck with him, looking for the missing Alphas, because they felt the pain of being separated more than any of the others. As it was they were still caught by surprise when Nemu, having fixed her kimono, sideswiped Halibel through the wall and into one of the adjacent empty storage rooms. The Arrancar rolled into the attack, and in spite of only having one arm managed to spring out of the vice-captain's grip.

"Where is my Alpha?" The Tercera glared. She wasn't carrying this season, but she did feel a certain loyalty to him and his child-like other half.

Nemu responded by flipping onto her feet and catching Halibel under the chin. This was how she'd broken the blonde's jaw before, and anticipating a certain amount of repetition in her fighting style, the shark-woman dodged to the side so that the dainty foot aimed to snap her mandible slid along her jawline under her ear. This let her grab the pale ankle and twist the vice-captain around and into the wall behind her. Nemu's eyes flashed and she launched herself off the wall into Halibel's face with both hands spinning like drills. Having only one hand the Tercera could only deflect one of the drills, meaning that the other sliced along her cheek. The momentum carried the two onto the floor, Nemu's hand slamming into the stone, but Halibel brought her knees up to flip the brunette over her, effectively snapping the hand drilling into the floor next to her head.

The pain didn't faze the vice-captain, who was back on her feet faster than the Tercera could. Green eyes widened as that second drill came for her face again, and she barely rolled out of the way, the tails of her resurrection streaming behind her. What she wouldn't give to have Tiburon's wave abilities at this moment. The blonde jumped to her feet in time to dodge the drill a third time, but found her back against the wall. Nemu lunged a fourth time, but pulled her drill back in a feint to land her heel in Halibel's stomach. The Tercera collapsed around her foot, grabbing the ankle again, this time she threw her weight onto the vice-captain's shin, attempting the break the bone, but without the strength of her Zanpakutou she just didn't have the endurance she needed. The tumbled mess that was created from the failed attempt was just enough confusion for Lisa to step in and collar Nemu with a reiatsu draining band similar to the one used on Rukia so many years ago.

The vice-captain stopped moving, and watching the Betas around her with apathetic eyes. "What will you do with me?" Her voice was soft, but though there may have been some fear in the question, none showed on her face.

"It depends. You're a traitor. Your sentence will be determined by the Central 46." The dark-haired Visored bound Nemu's hands behind her, careful of her broken wrist.

Halibel was about to open a Garganta to take the vice-captain back when Ichigo stopped her, "_We don't have the fire power to leave one of you behind._" He moved off leaving the girls to sort themselves out.

"Ooh. Berry-tan's got his serious face on." Mashiro cooed, leaning on Nemu's head.

They joined him in the hallway, Halibel hauling Nemu by a rope around her neck. She kept her position as anchor, behind Ichigo as point, and flanked by Lisa and Mashiro. The air was tense. Memories of dashing through this forsaken castle to rescue Orihime flashed through the strawberry's mind. He walked on the balls of his feet and constantly shifted his gaze from side to side, certain that the scientist Shinigami would have traps and pitfalls set up to protect himself. Sweat beaded the back of his neck, and he tightened his grip on Tensa Zangetsu. A few more feet and they would be in the collapsed throne room, the very center of the fortress. From there it would just be a matter of picking a direction and searching every room until the blasted traitor was found. They approached the double white doors, and Ichigo slammed them open with both hands.

In the middle of the room, in front of the collapsed rubble that had once been the tall, ivory throne Aizen used to lord over the inhabitants of the desert, Grimmjow, Nnoitra, Kensei, Love, Rose, and Starrk were strung up by their wrists like so much meat to be dressed for cooking. The light of the artificial sun streamed through the roof, highlighting the victimized Alphas. All six were unconscious, in varying states of reiatsu depletion and abuse.

Mashiro leapt forward, "Kensei!" But Ichigo grabbed her scarf.

"_Wait! I want my Alpha as badly as you do, but I'm sure it's a trap._" He scowled behind his mask, eyes searching the floor, the walls, what was left of the ceiling, for trip wires, buttons, holes, or anything else that could constitute a trigger. He took a step into the room, then another, and another. All the while certain he was being watched. When nothing happened he waved the girls in behind him.

As soon as all four Betas, plus Nemu, were in the room, the doors shut behind them. "Shit!" Ichigo pelted back toward the doors, but pulling on them, found them locked in some way. He frantically turned to Halibel for answers. Then Mashiro screamed. Whipping his head back around revealed that the three Visoreds' masks were peeling off, bit by tiny bit; evaporating into the air as though they'd been wearing them for too long. It was like watching a train crash in slow motion, both Lisa and Mashiro fell the ground in agony as their masks burned off of their faces.

'_Shiro, why aren't we burning?_' Ichigo yelled into his mindscape.

A scream tore through his mind, '**WE ARE!**' The Hollow writhed on the glass, but Ichigo felt none of the effects of whatever it was that was torturing his allies. Halibel and Nemu were likewise unaffected, looking at the Visoreds with concern on the former and apathy on the latter.

"_Halibel, get them out of here. I'll get the Alphas._" He ordered, stalking straight towards the victims.

The Tercera tried to open a Garganta but it failed. "It appears that the Shinigami has found Szayel's toys. The lack of Tiburon keeps me immune from the poison in the air, but I am unable to use any of my powers either. We must destroy the source in order to escape this place." Her oceanic voice was soothing.

Ichigo nodded. Taking a deep breath he pushed forward, Shiro's suffering was beginning to leak through. Much more and he wouldn't be able to hold onto his own mask. Gathering his reiatsu, he attempted to cut the Alphas' bonds, but his attack was deflected by a flying gold kursarigama.

"Yare, yare." A voice cackled. "You are most determined, Ku-ro-sa-ki Ich-i-go." Each syllable of his name was drawn out as the traitorous former captain of the Twelfth stepped out of from against the wall, his Nisehada flaking away like dried paint. "I would thank you for bringing me my worthless daughter, but she's only going to be taken apart. So there's no reason for her to be saved." He smiled, and threw the kursarigama to catch the brunette vice-captain through the throat. She slumped over, bleeding out as he retracted the weapon from his ear ornament.

Ichigo was horrified. First the state of the Alphas, then the poison in the air torturing the Visoreds' Hollows, and now, the bastard didn't even care about his own offspring?! The orangette roared and launched himself at the former captain.

The blue haired freak laughed, drawing his Zanpakutou to counter the ebony blade. The force of the impact drove them against the wall, raining debris and cracking one of the supports to what remained of the ceiling.

"Careful now, boy, wouldn't want the ceiling to come crashing down on your precious friends now." Mayuri taunted. "Why don't you give up this fruitless fight and agree to let me study you? I'll give you the deal your female friend was too stupid to take." His amber eyes lit up in hope.

"_Never!_" Ichigo spat, shoving Tensa Zangetsu closer to the scientist's neck.

The former captain was much for hand-to-hand swordplay, but he wasn't a pushover either. He just needed to buy his time before the boy's Hollow was in too much pain to maintain the mask. He was rewarded for his patience a moment later when Ichigo reared back, his sword angled out and away from their bodies, and his off-hand flying to his forehead where the mask there had cracked loudly.

'_SHIRO!_' The orangette cried internally.

'**M tryin', King! KAMI IT HURTS!**' The Hollow writhed again. '**KILL THAT FUCKER!**'

With a roar Ichigo was back up in Mayuri's face, sword clashing, and reiatsu flaring. His shihakusho blew out behind him, pulling taut across his front from the power of their latest clash. This meant the black fabric framed the small bump on his midsection where the scientist could see it. With a dangerous light in the former captain's eyes, he drew a knee up towards that precious belly bump, aiming to drive the joint into his attacker. The hybrid saw what he was doing and dodged, catching the assault on his arm and shoulder with a growl.

"Oh ho! Fascinating!"

"_What?!_" Ichigo snarled.

"I had discovered that Hollow males could carry young, but I never expected to have one where I could get my hands on him." The scientist cackled again, using the new position to shove the orangette back far enough that he could swing Ashisogi Jizo around. "Kakimushire!"

The blade split in three to form a gold twisted trident with the face of a baby at the hilt. He brought the weapon around slashing at Ichigo's sword arm. He missed, just barely, catching the fabric, but the momentum took him through the strawberry's other arm. Blood splashed the walls, the hybrid cried out, and his off-hand went dead.

Frantic gold-on-black eyes behind the red and white mask shifted from his limp arm and the gold blade. "_What did you do!?_"

"My shikai's special ability. It'll paralyze anything it cuts, but you'll still feel every agonizing slice and injury, because while Ashisogi Jizo removes your ability to move your arm, it doesn't actually sever the nerves." Mayuri was laughing again, confident that he'd found the trick to beating the hybrid.

'_Shiro, can you still manage?_' Ichigo asked mentally.

'**Lemme at 'im, King!**' The white copy was snarling and had the pain under control finally. No poison could affect them for long, thanks to the hybridization that the three pieces had gone through in the process of both losing and regaining their powers.

Before his very eyes, the sleeve of Ichigo's left arm exploded in bits of black fabric all the way up to his shoulder. The newly revealed flesh bleached white, and grew long matching claws. A red cuff exploded out of his wrist and across his shoulder Mayuri could see several black lines curving across the white flesh. Strangely enough, that side of Ichigo's hair grew longer as well, and the left half of his mask changed to have a single vertical stripe with the addition of a large, forward sweeping horn.

His voice was even more distorted than before. "**_You really think that will stop us?_**"

Now the scientist was beginning to get angry. The experiment was not behaving. At this point the boy should have broken down and started begging for his life, but all he seemed to be doing was getting stronger. Three more barely dodged slashes of Ashisogi Jizo's Shikai had Ichigo's hakama torn to shreds, and his kosode completely gone. His ankles and right wrist matched his left, the skin of his body white and from the center of his chest ran six symmetrical black lines from where a hole would be if he was not in mental control. His hair reached his waist and his mask was that of his Vasto Lorde form, with towering horns and two vertical red stripes over his eyes.

At the moment he held Mayuri by the throat, the scientist's Shikai thrown off to the side. He hadn't given the freak a chance to call his Bankai, knowing that whatever it was, it would bring down the roof of the throne room. Already, as a result of their flying around the space, there were large cracks in both supporting walls. He gathered his reiatsu at the tips of his horns.

"**_Give us one good reason not to kill you right here and now, Mayuri Kurotsuchi!_**" He roared.

"Ichigo!" Lisa called and the orange-haired hybrid whipped around, dispelling the budding Cero. With their masks dismissed the Visoreds were no longer crippled by the burning of their inner Hollows. The brunette had Rose leaning on her shoulder. Love was already against the door, slumped against Nemu, who had Nnoitra splayed out on her other side, and Halibel was supporting Starrk.

"Mashiro has Kensei!" The green-haired Visored called, running as fast as she could towards the door. The only one left hanging was Grimmjow.

He growled, holding Shiro back. "**_Everyone duck!_**" He called, re-charging the Cero, and blasted a hole in the wall leading out to the artificial daylight. "**_Get out of here._**"

The others made no hesitation in getting out of the room. Having more of the sunlight, and a draft of clean air, removed the effects of the poison so that the Visored Betas could once again don their masks and sonido the Alphas and Nemu down to the sand.

Ichigo turned back to Mayuri. He shoved the scientist further into the wall, ignoring the ominous groan of the stone. "**_Stay there, bastard, or so help me Shiro will teach you the real meaning of pain._**" Then he let the former captain go, barely able to make his Hollow half release the Shinigami.

He crossed to where his Alpha still hung by his wrists, reaching up with his daito-shaped blade he sliced through the chains. The blunette, still unconscious, slumped onto him. As he was regaining his balance he felt a sharp prick, like the sting of a wasp, in his shoulder. Looking down he saw the feathers of a dart embedded in his skin. He roared again, letting Grimmjow slump at his feet. In a flash he grabbed Mayuri and tossed him by the throat into the opposing wall.

The scientist's body crashed into the stone, and both he and the wall exploded into millions of pieces. As the stones of the ceiling rained into the room in a cloud of dust and smoke too thick to see though the pale green liquid of the former captain's nikushibuki state fell to the sand in mimicry of the stone. Lisa, having leaned her Alphas against one another in preparation to return to Ichigo's side, flash stepped around the column to catch most of Mayuri's liquid in a kido-box she'd kifed from Kisuke's storage room. What she couldn't catch as it poured down on her, sank into the sand, too little to make much difference; though it appeared that in spite of his last ditch attempt at taking Ichigo down, Mayuri had somehow fallen unconscious in his liquid form, as there was no sound from the gelatinous former captain.

The smoke cleared slowly revealing a tent of fallen stones around the center of the room. The rubble heaved. Once. Twice. Three times before the figure braced underneath was able to throw the heavy rocks off. He panted heavily, and bent down to the collapsed form of his mate. Gathering him into his arms, he picked his way across the broken room to the hole in the wall. With a deft leap he landed in the sands next to Halibel, Lisa and Mashiro, who all gasped.

His tail lashed and his ears flicked. "Nobody fucks with m'Beta." He growled and ripped open a Garganta.

Above them in the collapsed throne room, a figure still lay prone on the damaged floor. In the darkness of the shadows around the room, silent paws stepped up to the unconscious man. A black striped white tail waved in curiosity. Things had changed suddenly for the panther. The collar on her neck had shattered, giving her back her mentality, but something was missing. She could feel it, and she could tell that it was all this man's fault. Inexplicably she was drawn to the pale, white-haired creature that was splayed out in the middle of the fallen ceiling. Sunlight streamed in brilliant shafts, regardless of its artificial nature. She inched closer, whiskers twitching, and hunched over, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. Leaning down to sniff the white locks of his hair, she was taken off guard when a black-nailed hand shot out and grabbed her throat.

"**_Hey there, pretty kitty. We've got unfinished biz'ness, t'gether._**"

* * *

**Glossary:  
**Kursarigama - the strange gold blade that Mayuri has for an ear. o.x?  
Nisehada - Mayuri's ability to camouflage himself against any surface, as seen just before the fight with Ishida during the Soul Society Arc  
Kakimushire - Mayuri's Shikai release command  
Kifed - slang, meaning stolen, or nabbed

**Belly Report:**  
Ichigo – 10 weeks  
Orihime – 29 weeks  
Nel – 5 weeks  
Tesla – 4 weeks


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** BEWARE THE RETURN OF SMUT! =D

* * *

Chapter 9 - Completing the Bond

How had it gotten to this point? She panted and dared to peek back over her shoulder. He was still behind her, the white demon! Paws dug into the sand, her sky blue hair streaming out behind her, tail waving for balance. Where her hakama had fallen off was a good question, and her breast binding only held together with strings of fabric thanks to his sharp black claws. In places her azure fur was stained and matted with trickles of blood where he missed fabric and sliced her flesh instead. She looked over her shoulder again and her cerulean eyes widened in fear. How had he gotten so close?!

Miles of darkened sandy wasteland stretched around them on every side. Gone was the imposing silhouette of Los Noches, and soon she knew instinctively they'd transition from shifting sand to the rocky cliffs that marked the entrance of the Menos Forest. If she got there she could get into the trees and hopefully escape this lust-crazed Alpha.

What drove him? Why did he pursue her so relentlessly? Weren't there other good Betas in Hueco Mundo? Sure, she knew she was the strongest, but after such a chase, shouldn't he have given up, gotten bored, lost his breath for Kami's sake!? But no, he hadn't, which was the whole reason she kept running in spite of her own breath coming in ragged gasps, and her muscles burning in her legs. With his level of endurance, she knew she didn't stand a chance at beating him down face to face. How had such a powerful Alpha shown up anyway? The most powerful one she knew of was a trio of wolves that stalked the courtyards of Los Noches, but she out-stripped them easily. The shark boy from the basement of the castle came closer to her level, but he was a Beta. In fact, her only true competition had been the mantis queen but she'd disappeared before the strange white Alpha had shown up. Well, there was the bat too, but he wasn't as strong as the wolves.

During this contemplation she didn't realize he'd gained ground on her until, "**_Boo._**"

She screamed, the fur along her shoulder blades and on her tail standing on end. This caused her steps to falter, and she tripped, rolling tail over tits several times until she flopped upside down against the first outcropping of rocks marking the edge of the cliffs before the forest.

"Shit!" She swore as he stepped into her field of vision.

"**_Well, now. Tired o' runnin'?_**" He bent down to grin at her, mirth sparkling in those gold-on-black eyes. He wasn't out of breath, he hadn't even lost any clothing in their previous struggle. It really would have been best for her to submit to him.

However, she hissed at him instead. "Fuck you!"

He clicked his tongue. "**_Naughty, naughty, Kitty. An' after ya submitted ta me once a'ready._**"

"What are you talking about?!" She tried to turn herself right side up, only to find that he had a grip on her ankles, holding her upside down like steel cuffs.

"**_Ya don't remember? 'M hurt. Lemme remind ya._**" He licked his lips and shifted his hands from her ankles to her thighs, pulling them apart to run his claws down the sensitive insides. She shivered all over, hooking her calves around the rock for balance. Her body remembered, even if she didn't, and it immediately opened for the white man's touch. He hummed in approval, "**_Mmm, that's mah girl._**"

"I don't understand. Who are you?" Her voice quivered as he continued to run sharp, black nails down to her most private of parts.

He reached down to grab her arms and turn her right side up. "**_I think if yer body remembers, ya'll remember too when I've reclaimed what's mine._**"

She struggled in his grip, but it was like iron to her silk. So she just resorted to grabbing at his shoulders, digging her fingers into the fabric of his shihakusho. He took the opportunity and captured her mouth in a searing kiss, pressing his body against hers, and wrapping his hand around the back of her neck. She unconsciously ground her hips against his, and a mewl escaped her lips. He devoured it and shoved his tongue into her mouth to run along hers. Her eyes went wide at the motion and she found that his were open as well, locked on her own. A fire burned in the molten orbs, and it drew her in like a moth, certain that everything she knew up to that point would be consumed by him. Their tongues dueled for dominance of her mouth, and when she lost, her eyes finally drifted closed. Her body relaxed against his, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth through their kiss.

Feeling her finally give in, Shiro shifted so that he was kneeling with her under him. Never breaking the kiss he removed his kosode and shitagi, leaving him topless. Her hands almost immediately ran over the planes of his chest and down his sides to grip at the hakama-himo holding the loose pants on his hips. His belt came undone fairly easily, and thrusting his hips against hers, he purred into their kiss.

"**_Eager now, ain'tcha, Kitty?_**" His voice was dark with the promise of things that made her inner kitty squirm. However, a spike of fear brought on by the sound intruding on her blissfully blank mind made her spine stiffen and her hands freeze. He growled, grinding their hips together again. "**_Don't stop now. Ya were just 'bout ta get ta the good part._**"

**~~HERE THERE BE SMUT~~**

He laughed out loud, feeling her tense beneath him. Her hands left his sides. Faster than she could do anything with them though, he grabbed both wrists in one strong palm and pinned them above her head. His other hand trailed down her front, grabbing at her breast on its way. A tweak of her nipple brought a delicious yelp from her pouty, if vicious, mouth. Now that she was fighting again he wasn't about to kiss her, though he did suck on her other nipple to bring more of those sounds out of her into the still air of the desert.

"Y-you! Get off!" She tried to squirm.

"**_I intend to, pretty Kitty._**" He leered down at her outraged expression. It really didn't matter whether she wanted it or not, everything depended on him claiming her, fully and completely this time.

She hiked her hips, attempting to buck him off, but that only made him grind down onto her with a growling moan. When she tried to stop, he bent down and bit her nipple again, this time drawing a small amount of blood around the dusky areola. He lapped at the crimson droplets deliberately tracing around her sensitive nub. Beneath him she squirmed and tried not to moan by biting her bottom lip. When a stain of red around her fangs became a bead, Shiro reached up and flicked it away as well.

"**_Ya shouldn't bite yerself, Kitty. It takes away all mah fun._**" He cackled and latched onto the base of one of her ears, piercing the sensitive lower curve.

She cried out, bucking as her back arched in pain. He smiled again, if she wouldn't accept pleasure, he'd make do with other reactions. The clawed hand he'd been using to grope and tease her breast drew down her ribs to her hip. A shift of their position was easier said than done, as she desperately did not want the powerful albino between her legs.

One close call near his family jewels too many and he growled in anger. His reiatsu rose, and she involuntarily whimpered. He was the Alpha, and she had best remember it. Her momentary stillness allowed him to pull back and flip her over. Now with her chest pressed into the sand, and her hands held behind her back, he was able to spread her legs and kneel between them. He pulled the hakama-himo from his waist and used it to bind her wrists. This returned the use of both hands to him, and he made quick work of shimmying out of his hakama.

She glared over her shoulder, her long black and white tail lashing in front of him. He grinned again, and drew his blue tongue across his teeth. Pulling up on her hips presented him with the glistening folds of her muff.

"**_Now tha's a pretty sight right there._**" He purred again, leering at her.

"Just get it over with!" She snarled, knowing full well that he'd won. She hadn't been able to get away, and now he'd bound her. She cursed the fact that her body reacted to the scent of his arousal, and she shuddered as her muff clenched, drooling honey, at the thought of that proud moonlit shaft pounding into her.

As if reading her mind, Shiro drew a hand along himself, groaning at the contact. He let go long enough to stand, drawing her up onto her feet so he could bend her over the rock she'd fallen against earlier. He positioned her such that she couldn't turn around and see what he was doing, then fell back to his knees.

Though his actions didn't make it obvious, he still very much knew who he was and what they were supposed to be. Between them he may be Alpha, but his King was her partner's Beta. That meant he could do things for her that normal Hollow Alphas would never even think of doing with a Beta that fought them. Like what he was about to do now.

Inhaling deeply, he brought his face within millimeters of her turquoise curls. His exhale disturbed them and above him, caught on the rock, she moaned. A bead of honey dripped down her slit to be caught in a nest of coarse blue hair. Following it with his eyes, his tongue darted out and caught the drop before it could fall. Barely a taste of what was to come, he made a noise of approval. Her toes dug into the sand to either side of his knees in anticipation. His sadistic streak kept her holding on a few more seconds before taking a tentative stroke of her nether lips with his tongue.

His first touch brought her up onto the pads of her toes, her joints from hips to ankles locked in the pleasure that shot up her spine. Then he did it again, and her tail waved from one side to the other. When he dipped the very tip of his tongue between her labia, the muscles in her arms tensed as well. It took until he penetrated her with the flexible organ before she finally cried out.

Using one hand on her thigh for balance, Shiro tongue-fucked her, laving all over every bump, curve, fold and secret place within her muff. Every moan she made shot straight through him, and gentle strokes of his other hand brought beads of pre-come from the tip of his wanting member. He gripped her tightening thigh as her muscles sent signals that her climax was pending. Another few licks and he pulled away. She practically roared in frustration when he blew gently on her overheated loins, and his sadistic chuckle had her pinning her ears back.

"**_Ah, ah, ah, Kitty. Can't have ya goin' off wi'out me._**" He brought his other hand to rest on her other thigh and standing up, drew both sets of claws gently along the over-sensitized flesh. Once on his feet again, he pressed against her, letting his cock rest teasingly along the slit of her muff.

She tried to press back, but he followed her motion, not giving her an ounce more than what she could already feel. She deserved this, she knew, for running away when such a powerful Alpha attempted to mount her in the first place, but damn it! She was all worked up now, and he was right there! What did he want? For her to beg? Ha! Fat chance that was going to happen!

He seemed to read her thoughts, "**_Oh? What's this? Not as worked up as I thought ya were, I see._**"

"Nng!" She tried to press back against him again, only to find that he repeated his trick of moving with her. It was just enough pressure to keep her wanting it, but not enough to really give her what she wanted.

He bent over her, running his hands up her sides, under her ribs to cup at her breasts where they rested against the rock. His muscular chest pressed against her back, his breath was hot on her shoulder, and his dick was just that tiniest bit closer to penetrating her, if only he'd change the angle! She squirmed under him again, though this time trying to get closer than to pull away. He grinned against her shoulder, and his tongue came out to taste the periwinkle spotted indigo fur. After licking her, he breathed against it, sending goose-bumps down her arms.

"**_Does the pretty Kitty wan' somethin'?_**" He asked, his lips tickling the junction of her neck and shoulder, "**_Hm?_**"

She tried to growl, but it came out more like a purr and a moan. He laughed softly, beginning to nip at the spot where he was speaking. "**_Mm, 'M gonna need more 'n' that._**"

Her breathing hitched, he was so close! That hot, hard shaft tantalizing against her dripping nethers. The thought brought another moan from her throat, and she lifted her head.

He reached up around her shoulder to cup her chin and stroke the front of her neck with his claws. "**_So pretty…_**" He moaned, pressing just a bit closer as his own need to bury himself in the warmth of that sinful place beginning to win out over his sadism.

She moaned again, getting more and more needy with every sound. Her mouth fell open, and he traced her lips with a fingertip. Involuntarily she kissed it, and moved her tongue against the pad. He groaned at the sensation of the hooks on her tongue, like velvet mixed with Velcro. She drew the digit into her mouth with another needy moan that he echoed, and he began to thrust with his finger against her lips. It was a slow, deliberate motion that had his hips twitching to match that rhythm.

The tip of his dick breached her folds and she gasped, her mouth falling open. This broke the trance making him pull back quickly. Immediately she whined at the lost feeling. She turned her head to look over her shoulder as best she could and nothing but need burned in her eyes.

"**_Hm?_**" He asked, mouthing her shoulder again.

"Please…" She moaned, "F-fuck me…" She whined again, any further resistance gone. He held out for a moment more, but then she pleaded, "My Alpha…please…"

He couldn't have held back if he tried, which he didn't. Plunging deep into her folds with one, sharp thrust, he growled against her skin. At the same time, she yowled like the cat she was, and he pulled back to start a brutal rhythm that had her moaning and panting. It wouldn't last long, but then Mating wasn't supposed to. Only their special circumstances allowed him to prepare and tease her at all.

The pleasure built fast and hard, both Hollows left mindless by the instinctual insanity that was Mating at its most feral. He slammed into her. She clenched around him. They both yowled their pleasure to the far reaches of Hueco Mundo, sending Gillians and Adjuchas alike scurrying for their dens in fear of the powerful Arrancar. At the moment that her walls clenched around him, and his scrotum drew up in preparation for their climaxes, he pushed them over the edge by biting down on that spot he had been teasing before.

Hot, sticky seed pulsed in thick ropes, reaching far into her depths, as honey splashed around his penis, soaking his ashen curls and their combined reiatsu, which had previously been washing the landscape in pervasive, over-powering waves warding potential threats away from where they were mating, drew back, circling their bodies. Through the broken skin of her shoulder, his black and red energy dove into her muscles. Blood dripped onto the rock beneath them, splattered by the shudders coursing through their bodies.

A few more minutes and she was able to breathe normally again, but for the hiccups brought on by his continued pressure on her bite mark. It took another ten minutes of him holding her, arms wrapped around her chest, dick buried deep in her tunnel, and teeth sunk painfully into the muscles of her shoulder before he was able to reclaim his own mind and pull back.

**~~THUS ENDS THE SMUT~~**

Moving slowly, he withdrew from the bottom up, deliberately maintaining the bite as long as possible so that his reiatsu could thoroughly invade her. "**_Mine! Always mine!_**" He growled just before stepping back, taking his hakama-himo with him.

She was free now, though bleeding profusely. So she turned to stare at him. A vague recognition tried to cross her face but before it could truly sink in, he began to vanish. She frowned and shakily tried to move towards him, her aching arms and legs not cooperating the way she needed them too. He couldn't leave her! There would be cubs, at least one, from this, she was sure of it! A powerful Alpha like him, mating her, the most powerful Beta in Hueco Mundo!? He couldn't leave! If he left the cubs would die!

"**_M'time's up, Kitty. Sorry. Dun worry though, I'll see ya ag'in soon._**" He blew her a kiss and faded away completely, even his clothing was gone.

Only the bite on her shoulder, the aches in her body proved that the encounter hadn't been in her imagination. She slumped to the ground, ignoring the feeling of sand sticking to her still wet nethers. He was gone and she only had her pain to remember him by. All she could do was blink.

Far away, an equally stunned and tense feline blinked in tandem with the female. His neck burned, right where the shoulder met it, and reaching up with a hand he came away with a smear of blood, though the skin wasn't broken. He was seated on the floor, next to a futon, in a room at the back of the Urahara Shoten. On the futon, the occupant groaned and turned over, face drawn into a grimace as reiatsu flooded the room. It bounced around in waves, reached out and grasped the male feline's own and immediately both the energy and the man on the futon soothed, sinking into the orangette in a mixture of red, black and blue.

"Mm…" He groaned as soon as the glow from the energy had faded, honey-gold eyes fluttering open. Immediately they landed on a shock of bright blue hair, turquoise fur and bronzed skin. He voice was rough with sleep, but music to the expressive ears nestled within that hair, "Grimm…"

It wasn't a question, but an equally abused voice answered anyway, "Kitten."

Both smiled and the blunette launched himself onto the mattress, nuzzling and holding the other half of his heart. Their lips met, their hands grasped, pulling and feeling, they breathed each other in, using all five senses to verify that none of this was a dream. Tears came unbidden, but neither knew from who. Grimmjow purred, Ichigo answered, and the room throbbed with reiatsu as the mated pair reconnected for the first time in almost three months. They quickly lost themselves in each other, kissing and holding and touching.

When the fever of reuniting lessened, the pair could be found curled up with Ichigo resting his head on Grimmjow's chest. His arm flung across his Alpha's torso, his legs wrapped around one of the feline's own, and his body touching as much of his mate's as he could, even having gone so far as to strip his shirt off to be skin to skin. For his part, Grimmjow had the arm under his berry wrapped around the orangette's shoulders, his tail wrapped around the closest calf he could reach, and his other hand lazily drew circles on the gentle swell that was their growing kitten. Life simply couldn't be more perfect than that moment.

The feeling didn't even drain away when the shoji screen opened and Karin appeared in the doorway. "Ichi-nii—oh! Sorry!" She immediately started to pull back upon seeing their compromising position.

"What is it Karin?" The hybrid asked sleepily, but content.

"Oh, Geta-boshi wanted me to tell you dinner's ready." The girl flushed deeply at the way that the Sexta continued to caress her brother's stomach.

"Aa. We'll be there, Tom." Grimmjow answered lazily, with a small quirk to the corner of his mouth.

The dark-haired Kurosaki growled. "Don't call me that, Hairball!" She slammed the screen and stormed off to the sound of the blunette chuckling.

"Tom?" Ichigo asked, looking up with some curiosity.

"Short for tomcat, cuz the first thing she did when we got back was threaten ta kick my tail. She looked sa much like a lil tomcat defendin' her territ'ry that I almost dropped ya." He had mirth shining in his bright blue eyes and his grin was so feral that Ichigo couldn't help but laugh at the image.

"Was I out long?" Concern creased his eyebrows, and the Beta bit his lip at the thought that his Alpha had been waiting long.

But Grimmjow shook his head, "Nah. About a day, which is nothing considering what you did. And while carrying!" For emphasis the feline pressed his black-furred hand fully against the baby bump. A flush stained the orangette's cheeks and he tried to brush it off, but the Sexta wouldn't let him, "I'm proud o' ya!" One of those wickedly clawed fingers tilted his chin up to look his beloved in the eye, "My Beta, carryin' my cub, stormed inta Los Noches, thoroughly trashed the Shinigami keepin' me from him, and didn't get a scratch on him. Potion-dude couldn't even find anything wrong with ya, in spite of that dart. Sa, whatever it was didn' work, I guess. Makes ya a damn fine Beta, and yer mine!" He purred, capturing Ichigo's lips in a kiss, which drew another slightly-embarrassed chuckle from said Beta.

When they broke apart again, the hybrid was about to say something else, but at that moment a rumbling growl broke through the room. Then it was Grimmjow laughing and Ichigo blushing like crazy. He shoved the Alpha and rolled over to get out of bed. Strong arms wrapped around his torso and he scowled.

"Aw, Kitten, it's ok. It just means the cub's hungry too." The feline's hands both rested on his growing belly, and purred in his ear. "Yer gonna be hungry as a Menos fer the next several months. It's ta be expected. Yer eatin' fer two now. 'S cute."

"Hmph." Crossing his arms over his chest, Ichigo pouted, but leaned back against his mate. He suddenly sighed, and whimpered.

Grimmjow nuzzled him, "Hey, hey, don' start that ag'in. 'M here! 'M not goin' anywhere anymore." The orangette couldn't stop the welled up emotion, and his Alpha spun him around to cuddle him again. "Shh. Shh." The blunette rocked them gently, rubbing his back.

"Damn hormones." He sniffed, balling his fist against the feline's chest.

"I know." Another nuzzle at his hair had him looking up into the Sexta's eyes. The Alpha smirked, "Now, how about food?"

He nodded and stood up to pull on a tee-shirt, though he wore hakama on the bottom. He sighed, looking down. It would only get harder to cover from here on out. Scrunching up his mouth in a look of frustration, he didn't notice Grimmjow sneak up until he was captured with a toe-curling kiss. When they separated again, the feline had an impatient smile on his face. He flicked his eyes to the door and the Beta blushed, realizing he'd delayed leaving the room again.

They joined the others in the basement, which was the only room in the Shoten that was large enough for both packs of half-Hollows to fit together. Immediately upon entering, Ichigo was swarmed by Mashiro, Nel, and Orihime. The gaggle of females drew him away to join the other Betas at one end of the room, all of them fussing over the ones who were expecting, though some more sedately than others. Grimmjow felt a hand on his shoulder and looked down at Ulquiorra, who gave him a knowing smile. The two exchanged a look before moving off towards Kisuke and the other Alphas.

Feeling a bit out of place halfway between the two groups of half-Hollows were the rest; Rukia, Renji, Byakuya, Toshiro, Karin, Uryuu, and Sado. All of whom, except for Karin and Toshiro, had arrived at the Shoten deliberately to check on those who had been captured by Mayuri, and the Beta-team that had rescued them. Occasionally, members of this third, neutral group would furtively glance at either the Alphas or the Betas, but no one felt the urge to broach the subject of the diversity out loud.

Then Kisuke's voice cut across the training ground. "Why, Shin-chan, I do believe our natural tendencies are making our guests uncomfortable."

"Mah, Kissue, yo're right." The blonde pack leader grinned his signature grin. "Why don't we all jus' sit t'gether fer dinner t'night, ne?"

Though it needed to be spoken out loud, no one objected. In fact, almost immediately Alphas found their Betas and paired off in a circle around the group of Shinigami and Humans. Yoruichi brought dinner with help from Tessai, Jinta and Ururu. Then there was no more room for chatter as everyone dug into the food. It was half an hour later, when the sounds of eating were reduced to single digits, that anyone had the wherewithal to speak.

Ichigo was once again leaning against his mate, all four of their hands on his belly, though Grimmjow had snuck his clawed digits up under the berry's shirt to be skin-to-skin again. Internally this was wonderful for Little One, whose ball of reiatsu was drawing gallons of the energy through the physical touch from both of her parents. Now that they were together, the sky of Ichigo's mindscape was the brilliant blue that matched Grimmjow's eyes again. Externally, the strawberry hybrid didn't care what was going on, the feeling of having his Alpha wrapped around him was heavenly; somewhere between the afterglow of an orgasm and the sensation of a job well done. And since at the moment he was pleasantly full from dinner too, well, things couldn't be more comfortable. His eyes drifted closed as he rested his head against the feline's shoulder, both of them purring loudly and the tip of the Sexta's tail flipping gently up and down.

Around the room similar positions were mimicked by the other mated pairs, with a few exceptions. All in all though, the subtly tense atmosphere from before dinner was gone, replaced with contentment and relaxation. At least, until someone cleared their throat, and all eyes focused on the trio of Rukia, Sado, and Ishida.

"Kurosaki…" The Quincy began.

"Hm?" Came the sleepy reply.

"Are you a bit…" He trailed off with a vague hand gesture that was answered with a raised eyebrow from both Alpha and Beta.

Rukia picked it up, blushing furiously and unable to meet their eyes. "What Ishida means is, you seem to be…" She too trailed off, which brought blue and orange eyebrows drawn together in the beginnings of confused scowls. She looked to Sado, who shook his head meaningfully. Then she looked to both Renji and her brother. The redhead frowned with discouragement, and Byakuya, who for once was actually holding his husband's hand in public thanks to the amorous atmosphere, raised his eyebrow in disapproval. She fidgeted.

"Rukia…" Ichigo prompted, and she blushed deeper, picking at the tail of her obi.

Grimmjow growled lowly, "Out with it, Midget."

The silence pervading the chamber grew palpable, as all who were gathered subtly leaned in to find out what the big deal was, but this only made the petite Shinigami more anxious. She glanced around at her supporters again, and once again was met with negative reactions. Whatever it was she wanted to say, those around her thought it would be best left unsaid.

Finally, when no one could take it anymore, Kisuke snapped open his fan, catching everyone's attention. "I believe your friends are trying to make a comment about how much you seem to have grown since only yesterday, Kurosaki-san." He waved his fan as the orangette's eyes widened.

Orihime chimed in with a grin as everyone else froze, "Urahara-san is right, Kurosaki-kun, how come you're so much bigger?!"

* * *

**Belly Report:**  
Ichigo – 10 weeks  
Orihime – 29 weeks  
Nel – 5 weeks  
Tesla – 4 weeks

**A/N 2:** For those who are interested in having a mental image of our preggies, from now on use: img . photobucket.c o m [slash] albums / v480 / darkmuse03 / ABBellyreference . jpg (specifically for Ichi) and www . pregnancycalendar1.c o m for Orihime. At this point neither of the others are showing yet. =D Ja ne, minna!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 - Twins?

"AUGH!" The sound of frustration echoed through the Shoten and several of the weaker, less confident members of the hybrid pack scurried to hide from the resident lead Beta.

"Kitten…" The voice in the doorway of their room tried to reason with him.

"Grimm, don't." He growled. "Just. Don't.

At the moment, the orange-haired substitute Shinigami-hybrid was on his back on the futon-nest he shared with the Alpha of his life and fighting with the hakama-himo he normally wore over his kosode and shitagi. The ends simply wouldn't tie properly. Both times he'd successfully managed to get the fabric tied, it had bunched and twisted, meaning that he had to take the whole thing off just to get it straightened out again. Both times, Grimmjow, from safely across the room, had suggested that maybe Ichigo would be more comfortable in traditional Arrancar wear, since it was designed to accommodate expecting Betas.

The first time, he'd been answered with a 'thanks but no'. The second time, Ichigo had been ready to throw something at him. This time, if he uttered one more word, he'd find himself in what Kisuke alternatively called the "Bachelor Den" or the "Pregnant Partner Penalty Box". This was normally the common room of the Shoten, with two couches, a couple Yoruichi's pillows and a low table used for serving tea. However, with the influx of half-hollows running around, Tessai had moved both the couches and the table down to the underground chamber for more space. This opened the room up for use by the Alphas in much the same way that the Betas grouped together. If an Alpha was overwhelmed by or in trouble with their Beta, they could retreat to the former living room for some space that was both away from their temperamental mates but nearby in case they were needed.

"Oh, Kami damn them all!" The orangette swore, letting the fabric fall back to the bed and he huffed his frustration.

In the two weeks since the raid on Los Noches, Ichigo's button-popping-bump had become a full on belly, big enough for Grimmjow to put his hands around. Absolutely nothing in the hybrid's wardrobe fit anymore. Case in point, the hakama-himo he was trying to tie wasn't even his. It was Tessai's left over from when the mountain of a man had been captain of the Kido corps. And it still didn't fit!

"AUGH!" Growling again, he glared at the ceiling, then turned so that smoldering expression landed on his Alpha. "Fine. How fast can Szayel get me a pair of pants?"

Grimmjow at least waited until he was out of their room before allowing the ego-filled grin to split his face. Not only was his bitch feisty, powerful, and independent, he was intelligent and obviously growing very well. Next to the princess chick, who was due to whelp sometime after the beginning of the year, he was the biggest expectant Beta in the shop. It was almost enough to make the blue-haired Espada forget that he was trapped in his release form without his sword.

"Well, don't you look downright full of yourself, Sexta." The Octavo practically purred from his seat in the shopkeeper's lab.

Without needing to explain himself, the feline beamed, "He's outgrown the sash he got."

"So that's why our short-tempered Berry-kun has been swearing all morning." Kisuke appeared from a supply closed at the other end of the lab.

Szayel waved the captain of the Twelfth to hush. "I gather you're here to get him something that will actually accommodate your litter?"

"Shh!" Grimmjow looked around quickly, half-expecting his mate to appear out of nowhere. "Watch how ya say that word. Ya know he's already threatened ta maim Nell fer suggestin' that he's gonna whelp more than one cub."

"It is logical though, Grimm-kun." Kisuke ignored the blunette's twitch at the nickname. "You're a feline. He's apparently some sort of lizard. Plus you have you think about the fact that his younger sisters are twins. If what Szayel here has explained to me is the natural way of things, Berry-kun should at least be anticipating two."

"Actually, Kissu," The pink-haired scientist chimed in, "Berry-tan should be prepared for more than two. Given his human potential for twins, and his massive reiatsu? Heh, he'll be lucky if all he gets is a single set of twins." The grin on the effeminate Beta said it all, though he elaborated anyway, "I can't wait."

Grimmjow cleared his throat. "Yeah well, jus' don' go sayin' it too much around 'im. He's been really stressed out about the meetin' with the Shinigami comin' up this afternoon."

"Say no more, dear Sexta, unlike some currently residing here, I know how to hold my tongue around a temperamental expectant Beta." Szayel giggled, referring to an episode just after the Espada moved into the Shoten where Nnoitra had commented without as much tact as he should have. "I am one after all, without the expecting part." At that he gave a dramatic sigh, "All of you fabulous Alphas were taken by the time my turn came around. Oh well. There's always next year, and those simply wonderful Visoreds are around to play with now."

Kisuke waved his fan in front of his face, though whether in amusement or irritation it was hard to say. "Come now, Sza-ya, let's get Grimmy-kun his clothing so he can get back to his Beta before the lovely mother-to-be comes looking for him, ne?"

"Hm? Oh. Quite right, Kissu." The Arrancar sighed with a wistful smile as he crossed the room to a cabinet near the door where the panther had entered. He pulled out a pair of white hakama with a similar style to his own and a cropped jacket with long sleeves, more fitted than Grimmjow's but the same length. Holding them out to the blunette, the Beta smirked over his glasses, "Oops, looks like we're too late."

Ichigo stood in the doorway, clutching his hakama closed with one hand. He bit his lip and looked away, flushing brightly. "Y-you were taking a long time." He mumbled.

Grimmjow couldn't help but smile, though with less of the sadistic edge he carried normally. "S'alright, Kitten. Was just comin' back ta get ya."

"Mm." The hybrid pulled on his hakama, trying to keep them up. Of course, this was why he wore them, but it was annoying without a belt of some kind. He caught sight of the clothing and frowned slightly, "I thought those uniforms were something Aizen came up with?"

"Nah, the fucker just adopted them himself. 'Member, Kitten, he fucked with ev'rythin' from the sand up." The Sexta took the outfit from Szayel and stood between the other two and his Beta. "Here, let's get ya dressed, and get some food inta ya b'fore ya gotta see them Shinigami bastards."

Ichigo vaguely nodded, contemplating his new costume, and allowed himself to be herded back to their room. When they emerged a few minutes later, the orangette was surprisingly comfortable, though feeling a little exposed. The hakama rested below his burgeoning belly, and the jacket was open from the ribs down.

"They aren't going to like this, Grimm." He intoned as they made their way to the underground chamber-turned-dining-and-living-room.

"That ain't the point, Kitten. Are ya comfy?" The feline raised an eyebrow, and his tail waved behind him. Blushing deeply, the hybrid nodded, and the blunette mimicked him. "Then that's all that matters." Sensing his mate hesitate before they crossed the threshold, he turned and ran a warm palm over the gentle swell, "This is somethin' ta be very proud of where I come from. Remember that. Yer amazin' an' 'M a damn lucky Alpha ta have ya."

That did it for Ichigo. He nodded and stood a little straighter as they made their way forward. If there was one thing Grimmjow could do it was soothe the orangette's fears. Ever since he'd woken up after the rescue mission the pair were closer than ever. It was as though the mating bond was stronger and closer than it had been. It wasn't too surprising since before the connection had been stretched over two worlds, but the hybrid swore they could practically read each other's thoughts now. He wanted to ask Shiro about it, but strangely the albino had been silent the whole two weeks. If he was truly honest with himself, he knew he'd been too wrapped up in just being with his Alpha to really notice much of anything else. The flocking of Mashiro, Nel, Tesla, and amazingly, his sister, to him to pet and coo over his belly brought the vibrant Beta out of his thoughts. It made him blush but the proximity of both the other Betas and his Alpha made it easier to accept the attention.

Several hours later, when Byakuya, Renji and Rukia came through the Senkaimon to escort him, Grimmjow, Kisuke and the three Visored-turned-captains to Seireitei, the reaction was slightly more disturbed. The captain of the Sixth raised an eyebrow at the state of his clothing, but said nothing, unlike his sister and life partner.

"Holy Hell, Kurosaki!" Renji sputtered, waving wildly. He caught himself before he could say anything physically endangering, but just that brought a glare from the orangette.

Rukia covered for him—badly, "He means you look great, right? We just weren't expecting you to be—uh—dressed like that."

"And just what's wrong with it?" Orihime scowled, crossing her arms under her ample chest. She was slightly more covered, but only because the shirt-like jacket that Ulquiorra gave her had a skirt much like Human maternity clothes. Her hakama matched Ichigo's though.

There was a certain level of pride the female Beta gave off and a quiet indignation regarding the newcomers' reactions. It was an honor to be dressed by one's Alpha, even the Visoreds held with that. Lisa wore what Rose enjoyed looking at, and Mashiro dressed in a catsuit because it made Kensei happy. Instinctively Alphas sought to show off their Betas. So for Ichigo that meant showing off more skin than he was used to, and for Orihime anything that highlighted her belly was a must. All in all it was a concept that left the Shinigami confused, in spite of their own version.

Sensing the danger of that question, Renji back-peddled. "Eh…n-nothing, Inoue!" He threw his hands up in defense.

"It's just not what we normally see you guys in." Rukia again tried to cover for her best friend's fumble.

Behind them both, Byakuya actually rolled his eyes. "We need to be leaving. The Central 46 are awaiting our arrival."

Standing from his seat next to Orihime, Ichigo growled, "Let's just get this over with."

He stalked passed the Shinigami and entered the Senkaimon, his hands balled into fists and his trademark scowl on his face. Of the Betas, his unique DNA sequence gave him the ability to transition from the Living World to the Soul Society without risking his or Little One's health. Not that it kept Grimmjow from being literally a step behind him. Kensei and Rose gave their Betas a short farewell and followed Grimmjow. Kisuke shot a glance at Shinji, who grinned, turning to the Senkaimon. Behind him, Szayel gave a small yelp. Then he and Kisuke left and the three Shinigami were forced to bring up the rear.

The walk from the main gate to the Central Building did nothing to help the hybrid's attitude. Shinigami from all over stopped what they were doing to stare at him. It was like they'd never seen a pregnant person before. He grumbled and growled under his breath, much to Grimmjow and Shinji's amusement, the entire time.

Just outside the building he stopped and whipped around, "This is funny for you?!" His eyes flashed gold and his scowl darkened. The two Alphas grinned and exchanged a look.

"Yeah." The blonde started.

And the blunette finished, "Yer scarin' the pants offa this trash.".

"Unbelievable." Ichigo threw his hands into air and entered the building muttering about egotistical Alphas. As soon as the violent orangette had passed through the doors, a glance passed from Kisuke, who flipped open his fan, to Shinji, who grinned, to Kensei, who smirked, to Grimmjow, who leered, to Rose, who turned with a small smile at the Shinigami.

Renji leaned closer to Byakuya. "Ya get the feelin' we're missin' out on somethin'?"

"Indeed." The noble intoned and Rukia shook her head.

The rest of the group followed the still muttering hybrid through the hallways of the Central Building to a set of ornate doors that were the portal to the courtroom. Inside the members of the Central 46 were seated in an amphitheater style panel. The highest seat, styled after a judge's bench, held the Chancellor, spokesman and voice of the council of elders. On the bottom tier of seats, Yamamoto sat directly below the Chancellor, flanked by labeled seats for each of the other twelve captains and their lieutenants.

When the group of half-Hollows entered the chamber a ripple of wariness rumbled around the room. The captains, Renji and Rukia took their places in the line-up of Gotei officers, and the Chancellor of the Central 46 stood.

"Shinigami-daikou Kurosaki Ichigo, before we hear testimony regarding Kurotsuchi-Taicho's indiscretions this council would like you to explain why you are dressed so casually? This is a formal inquiry. To be dressed in anything but the official uniform is a violation of the terms of your position as Shinigami-daikou."

The silence in the room was audible as many of the gathered elders and vice-captains shifted uncomfortably in their seats. The orangette in question closed his eyes, a small twitch making the spikes on his head shake. Glances were exchanged as he still did not answer, and Grimmjow saw that his mate was breathing deeply.

To him, the question was ridiculous. What did it matter what his Kitten was wearing? As the tension grew, his cerulean gaze shifted from his mate, to the Chancellor—still expecting an answer, to the shape of the former captain of the Twelfth. The man was seated on a simple chair, having only recently regained his physical form. As a prisoner awaiting trial, he had not been allowed to access his personal quarters. So it was a little odd, but relieving, to see the tormentor of his nightmares with faintly brown skin.

Realizing that the Chancellor had been waiting this whole time for an answer, Grimmjow barked, "Oi! What's it matter?"

Murmurs of outrage and shock rumbled from the panel of elders and the Chancellor looked down his nose at the blunette. "The complexities of the Soul Society's laws are not the topic of discussion here today."

"Neither is m' mate's clothin' choice, which, I might add, I picked out." The Alpha stepped forward, putting himself between Ichigo and the panel. He scanned the room, taking in the disgust and disdain on their faces.

"Kurosaki-daikou, is this true? Did you allow the Arrancar to determine what you are wearing?" The Chancellor addressed the orangette again.

Grimmjow didn't give his mate a chance to say anything, "O' course I did. 'S an Alpha's privledge."

The Sexta was ignored, "Kurosaki? Does this Hollow own you that you do not make your own decisions and speak for yourself?"

"Really?! Of all the know-nothin', self-centered ideas ya Shinigami've come up with…" The blunette ran a hand through his hair, trying to hold on to his temper. "Ya ever meet a person as wild as m' Kitten before? Ain't nobody c'n _own_ 'im." A look of pride converted his frustration into a grin as he turned to look at the vibrant Beta, "M damned lucky." He repeated his earlier comment.

The murmurs of scorn and contempt grew again, such that the Chancellor had to bang his gavel. The noise simmered, and the haughty elder sneered, "Kurosaki-daikou, do you have anything to say for yourself?"

The tension built again and finally, Ichigo whipped his head up to glare at the Central 46 eyes flashing gold, "You know what?! I don't care! It doesn't fit. I can't wear your Kami-damned uniform right now! I'm not gonna be able to wear the thing for months yet! Cuz guess what? I'm a Kami-forsaken half-Hollow damn it all! And if you stuck-up, irritating, good-for-nothing Shinigami can't do something to keep fuckers like him," He pointed violently at the kido-bound former captain of the Twelfth, "out of our world, I'm gonna bring justice here—Hueco Mundo style! I'll show you exactly what we Betas did to Los Noches. So get your act together, or so help me you'll wish you'd never laid eyes on a Hollow!" He was panting but he'd stunned the Central 46 speechless.

"Kurosaki," Yamamoto was the only one brave enough to speak.

"WHAT?!" The orangette yelled, rounding on the old man.

"Why are you unable to wear your uniform this early in your fecundity?" The Sotaicho was unfazed by the hybrid's violent temper, even as he seethed.

Several deep breaths, clenched fists, and a full-body tremble kept Shiro from breaking through and aiming a Cero at the entire lot of the ignoramuses. "Why? Why, he says." This was mostly to himself, but he did look up to answer, "Because there are fucking FOUR OF THEM!" With that the hybrid had no more patience for this group of stodgy, narrow-minded old men. Not even caring to give testimony anymore, Ichigo stalked out of the Central Building.

In the gaping silence that followed, Shinji fell back in his chair laughing. Every eye in the place fell on him, but the blonde captain couldn't hold himself back. Kisuke pulled out his fan, smirking behind it. Several of the other captains were infected by Shinji's mirth, and much to the Central 46's dismay, the Arrancar on the floor in front of them grinned with the biggest show of dangerous teeth yet.

The color drained from the Chancellor's face. "You, Hollow," He pointed the gavel at Grimmjow, "Explain this!"

Casting his grin at Shinji and the other Visored captains, the blunette responded, "Ya wouldn' understand the..." he paused for empahsis, letting his gaze slide back over to the flabbergasted elder, "complexities o' Hollow society."

This set the Pack Alpha off in another bout of rib-grasping laughter, which several of the other captains imitated in their own way at the stuffy words being thrown back. Another few moments of enjoying the chaos and the Sexta left after his mate, more proud than he had been ever before. Nothing the Soul Society could throw at them could wipe the smile off of his face. Four?! That was better than he'd hoped for. Twins he was expecting, three would have been great, but four!? He was so proud of his berry that he thought he might just crack his mask from the way he couldn't stop grinning.

The remaining assembly took the pair's exit as cue to start talking all at once. Outrage and demands for the hybrid's arrest were the top of the conversation. Several were shell-shocked, but the majority of the Gotei 13 captains were quietly amused. Through it all Shinj and Kisuke continued to laugh, spurring each other on by just exchanging glances. Above the Chancellor tried, in vain, to regain control of his courtroom.

This carried on until a solid wood-on-wood thunk radiated through the din. Instantly, all were silent, eyes drawn to Yamamoto-Sotaicho. The old man stood, both hands on his staff. "I move to recess until after the beginning of the year. At such time representatives will be sent to collect testimony from those most personally affected by Kurotsuchi Mayuri's actions. The accused will remain in custody in the Senzaikyu until such time as this court can be reassembled."

"Is there a second motion?" The Chancellor actually looked relieved.

Both Jushiro and Shunsui stood and spoke at the same time, "Hai."

The sound of the gavel punctuated the statement. "Motion carried. Soi-Fon-Taicho, please escort Kurotsuchi-Taicho back to his cell. This council will reconvene in six weeks to hear testimony regarding the accusations. Dismissed."

**~End Part 1~**

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**Belly Report:  
**Ichigo – 12 weeks  
Orihime – 31 weeks  
Nel – 7 weeks  
Tesla – 6 weeks

**A/N:** Now, before anybody panics-no! A&B is not over. However, I want to know if you guys want me to continue posting Part 2 here or in a new file? Let me know in your reviews. Also, between Part 1 and Part 2 is a one-shot I'm co-writing with my wonderful partner Silver Eternity (go check out her stuff! Seriously!) called "Christmas At the Shoten" which will be posted next week. So, stay tuned, minna! Ja ne!


	11. Xmas at the Shoten: Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hey there, guys! I finally got this updated! WOOT! Turns out our interlude is spinning into more than just a one-shot. LOL Fair warning, this is not going to be your happy, fluffy, Whoville Christmas episode. Remember at the end of Part 1, Ichi and the gang were dealing with some pretty serious issues. So, I'll try to keep things in the Christmas spirit but, c'mon you know you all wanna see the angst. LOL. XD Anyway, enjoy, and I promise it won't be so long between updates again. Ja ne, minna!

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Christmas at the Shoten: Chapter 1

December 24th, Karakura town was covered with a light layer of snow so fine that the air glittered with the powder. The rumor was that Toshiro conjured the white Christmas as a present for Karin. The short captain had nothing to say on the matter, but a certain air about him and the dark-haired Kurosaki twin just seemed to prove it. All over town folks were settling in to wait for the yearly visit of 'Santa Claus', decorations were hung, cookies were baked, and family was gathered together to celebrate the holiday. The Urahara Shoten was no different, but for the sheer number of celebrants packed into the normally fairly empty shop.

In the weeks since the escape from Los Noches, the surviving Espada had made themselves as at home as the Visoreds had months before. Starrk and Halibel had commandeered the room previously known as the Pregnant Partner Penalty Box, meaning that Alphas in trouble now had to huddle somewhere in a dark corner of the basement. Nnoitra constantly found himself there when he said the wrong thing to Tesla, who had bonded to the lanky Alpha due to their connection from previous years. That triad, including Nelliel, had stolen the Beta Room, which placed them between Grimmjow and Ulquiorra for mated pairs, and down the hall from Starrk. Across from them, Shinji had been able to defend Kisuke's room as his own, flanked by Kensei on one side and Rose and Love on the other. Eight very powerful Alphas, each with their own precious Beta, in one form or another, and just barely enough room for them to all cohabitate peacefully.

Yoruichi was often heard saying, "I swear, if we get one more pair in this place, I'm leaving for the Soul Society" but she never did leave in spite that she and the rest had to make do with a tent in the basement that, at one time or other, was bombarded with reiatsu from various irritated members of the double-sized pack.

Whether it was because of the increase in pregnant freeloaders, or because Yoruichi refused to have to climb the ladder every time she needed to use the bathroom in her human form, no one was quite sure, but Kisuke, Tessai and Hacchi put their heads together to remodel the underground chamber a bit so that there was a set of stairs similar to the Visored's warehouse. They also divided the large open area to be both training ground on one half and more like a living room on the other, separated by a kido wall that was sound and reiatsu proof. And reflective. The living room side showed a wall with a large fireplace that actually gave off heat and flickering flames when activated with a small switch on the adjacent wall. The other side merely reflected the rocks and sky. Currently the couches were arranged around the low table facing the fireplace, and to the side a large evergreen tree had been set up.

Now, though, the idea of being crowded together just seemed to make everyone feel a little bit better about the season. Or, at least, Ichigo did. He practically danced down the stairs, carrying a tray of cookies fresh from the oven, and humming some carol common for the holiday.

The scene he joined was fairly typical. Ulquiorra, his tail tip twitching in agitation, was entangled in a string of mini-lights designed to be strung around the tree. Orihime looked concerned from her place on the couch, one hand on her belly, the other up to her mouth obviously holding back some tidbit of poorly-worded advice. Also, supervising the task were Szayel and Kisuke, snuggled suspiciously close together on the other couch.

"How's it going, Hime?" The orange haired hybrid asked cheerfully.

His female counterpart smiled back at him somewhat nervously, "Ah, pretty good I think…"

"I'd say it's going wonderfully, Hime-chan!" Kisuke waved his fan in front of his face, "Ulqui-kun hasn't torn any decorations apart, fired a cero at the tree or knocked any holes in the wall like he did last year."

"Yet, Kissu." Szayel snickered, sipping a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows. "The tiny lights are not yet on the tree."

"Woman…" The object of their conversation growled dangerously, holding his hands out for inspection. The string was wrapped around every digit, and pulling his palms apart only resulted in the confounded electronics drawing tighter.

Ichigo set the tray of cookies down on the table next to the normally stoic Quatro. "Cheer up, Ulquiorra, you're doing better than Grimmy. Half of the last batch of cookies wound up on the floor because Tesla and Nel kept insisting on tasting them. These are the few that weren't burnt." He gestured to the tray of what could have been tree-shapes, if one tilted one's head, squinted and had imbibed a good amount of Shunsui's finest sake.

"Aww, you should have let me help." Orihime pouted a little, looking at the cookies.

"NO!" The three males not mated to her shouted simultaneously, which brought her head up with a flush of embarrassment and curious agitation.

Szayel quickly recovered, as being in close proximity to her for a while had initiated the Beta Pile mind-bleed, "What we mean, Hime-chan, is that you're needed here to help Ulquiorra-san."

"Hai, hai." Kisuke flipped his fan again, "Without you, who would keep Ulqui-kun from losing patience with the decorations and my property, ne?"

She beamed brightly, "Right!" And slid off the couch to sit next to her Alpha happily 'helping' with the lights. Behind her, Ichigo gave a relieved smile and rolled his eyes.

About five seconds later, Ulquiorra's eyebrow was twitching and his precious control was threatening to give way. He closed his eyes, retaining his composure by using the mental image of what he'd like to do to the irritating Shinigami's striped hat should he ever free his fingers again. Sensing the impending destruction of the multi-colored string of lights, Ichigo stepped around the table to join the mated pair on the floor.

"Here…" He took hold of one end of the cord and pulled in just the right way. In no time the decoration was piled around the two in an even coil. He fingered the closest vibrant bulb with a wistful look, "Goat Face always gets tangled like that with Yuzu." His eyebrows twitched and the corners of both his eyes and mouth tightened ever so slightly.

"Uh…uh…Ichigo-san! How about we head back into the kitchen and see about getting more of those cookies made, ne?" Once again Szayel to the rescue, as he took hold of the young Beta's arm and pulled him gently back towards his mate. The orangette didn't say anything, merely letting the Octavo lead him around. Upon entering the kitchen on the first level of the shop, he called, "Grimmjow?! Oh, where is that blasted feline?"

Nel and Tesla, covered in icing and green-tinted cookie dough looked up. The female blinked, "I think he said something about giving up on baking, or something."

"Mm, yeah." The blonde Beta sucked on a wooden spoon with wide-eyes, fully expecting to be yelled at for doing it.

Szayel made an exasperated noise and threw his hands up in the air, leaving the kitchen. "Grimmjow! Kami damnit, Sexta!"

Ichigo slumped onto a barstool that was pulled up to the counter island, and dipped his finger into the cookie dough. He rolled the green stuff between his finger and his thumb, contemplating eating it. He sighed, and rested his hand on his belly. "I'm getting fat." He groused, flicking the now offensive sweetened batter from his finger.

"Yer not fat, Kitten." Strong arms wrapped around him, and calloused thumbs drew circles on his exposed belly. This was the feline's favorite position since the Visored had agreed to adopt the Arrancar style of dress because it brought the two into skin-on-skin contact, which always made the cubs feel better. And when the cubs felt good, 'Mommy' felt good.

He leaned back into the sturdy chest of his Alpha and sighed again. "Still…" He was wistful and melancholy. This was the first Christmas he'd spent without his father, and in the predicament he was in, it was all that much harder, regardless of what everyone else was trying to do to help.

Grimmjow nuzzled Ichigo's jawline, peppering the skin with small kisses. "I know, Kitten." He didn't really. Like all of the Espada, Christmas was a new concept to them. The only ones who had any idea about the thing were Nel and Ulquiorra and that was only because both had been there the year before. But, he did understand that whatever the significance of having his Beta's sire there was, the fact that the stubborn ex-Shinigami flat out refused to have anything to do with his strawberry was upsetting, and that, he could at least relate to, even if the motivations weren't something that he could grasp fully. So, he purred deeply, rumbling through his chest and vibrating the smaller male in his arms, sending soothing thoughts through their mate bond by licking the inky Mark on Ichigo's neck.

A few moments and Ichigo had relaxed completely, raging thunderstorms within his mindscape avoided for the moment. Shiro intoned to the blue-haired Alpha, _Sheesh. Can't leave him alone fer a second._

"Grimmy…" The hybrid didn't let the Sexta respond to his Inner Hollow. "Can you really tell it's not just fat?" His eyes were dark and troubled when he looked up into his mate's own cyan version.

"O' course! Next ta 'Hime you're radiatin' reiatsu. Ain't nobody here with a litter like ours." The panther purred.

Ignoring the other expecting Betas in the kitchen, Ichigo frowned. "She's still bigger than me." Now, into his second trimester by a week or so, the desire to show how worthy he was as a Beta had hit the orangette full force.

"She's been carryin' longer, Kitten. She'll whelp first is all." The panther nuzzled him again, his tail curling around to add to the embrace he used to wrap the insecure Beta in both reiatsu and scent. "Don't forget though, she's only carryin' one. We've got four in here." He couldn't help the little zing of pride that still shot down his spine at that knowledge, and he drew little circles with his thumbs on the slightly paler skin.

Ichigo made a noncommittal noise, not exactly satisfied with that answer, and making it known mentally. Shiro dashed into Grimmjow's mindscape and shook off like a feral canine, spraying water all over the trees. _Ugh! Think o' somethin'! We're drownin' in there!_

"Uh…yeah, an' think about it, Kitten, yer a lot bigger than Tesla an' Nel! Ya can't hardly even tell they've got cubs on the way. Compared ta ya, they're like sticks! Honest!" The blunette said the first thing that came to him.

Open mouth, insert foot. Nel glared, and Tesla flushed a deep red, turning away from the mated pair with his shoulders quivering. Internally, Shiro smacked his forehead.

_Good goin', Blue, yer a master o' the spoken word!_ The albino faded back into Ichigo's city, fully expecting World War 3 to break out.

He didn't have to wait long. Nelliel huffed, "Some of us didn't get the advantage of a Beta Pile during the first few weeks." She wrapped her arms around the now whimpering Tesla, intent on drawing him out of the room.

"Grimm!" Ichigo echoed the tone Nel used.

"Aw, Hell…" The Sexta's ears drooped and he tucked his tail in close to his leg. "I didn'…Nelly…Tes…I…fuck…"

"Hmph." All three Betas made the noise, and Ichigo pulled away to wrap Tesla on the other side. He spoke loud enough that he could be heard, but was addressing the blonde, "C'mon, Tessy. Let's go find Nnoi-kun. Alpha's dunno what they're talking about."

"Oh…okay, Ichigo-chan." The smaller male Beta blinked up at the orangette from the safety of the place between his co-Beta and the hybrid. The Beta-Pile-bleed made it easier for them to calm him down but the pour traumatized fraccion really wouldn't be set to rights again until after he'd been brought to his new Alpha and soothed properly.

As the three left the kitchen, Grimmjow drew his hand over his face, letting his claws rake the strands of blue hair that fell onto his brow. "Augh! Fuckin' Betas…always stick t'gether…me and my fuckin' mouth."

"Nnoitra! Grimmy was an idiot! Come get Tessy!" Ichigo called, walking the distraught Beta back through the living room.

Nel trailed behind muttering about stupid Alphas, her hands clenched into fists and a dark scowl on her face. True the two of them weren't hardly any different yet. Just some thickening below the navel, and nausea. She'd picked up a flair for Orihime's cooking, adding red bean paste to absolutely everything, and Tesla cried at the drop of a hat, though part of that was probably still his pain over losing Yylfordt. Nnoitra did what he could, but until the cub shifted its reiatsu, the broken Mating Bond would still futilely call for Szayel's brother, causing Tesla physical and emotional distress. Truthfully, were it not for the bond of Espada to fraccion that Tesla and Nnoitra already shared, it wouldn't have been surprising for the slim blonde Arrancar to have followed his lost mate in death, and only Ichigo's quick thinking had saved the cub. When it was born, it wouldn't be truly Yylfordt's offspring spiritually, but everyone was hoping that something of the bovine Arrancar would stick around through to the birth.

Looking up at the disturbed procession, Kisuke blinked several times. "Yare yare." A delicate hand on his arm made him flick out his fan and shut his mouth. Broadcasting as the Betas were, Szayel and Orihime moved closer to the more dominant spirits in the room. Ulquiorra even forgot for the moment that he had a loop of tinsel around the horn on his mask. At some point, Byakuya had joined them, sitting on the couch where Orihime had been to begin with, and the stoic captain blinked up from the book he was reading, also affected by the turbulent reiatsu in the room.

"Feh! What'd the big blue pussy do this time?" The lanky Quinto ducked out from behind a rock where he'd been 'relaxing', entering the living room from the other half of the basement where he usually spent his time. He'd taken to using four of his hands to feel in front and behind him as Orihime had been unable to heal his vision. Like Halibel, apparently because of the way his Zanpakutou released his eye required that Santa Teresa be within his mindscape to be functional. So, though the orb itself had been healed, it was covered by a thick film of opaque grey that completely obscured his vision. This left the violent Espada even more volatile, and on guard at almost all times. Being insectoid he fully expected to be murdered at any moment, and now that he'd been blinded that made him even more on edge.

Ichigo scoffed and let his reiatsu trail out as a guide for Nnoitra, "I'll take care of him. You focus on Tessy and Nel."

The green-haired female took her co-Beta into her arms and crossed the distance to snuggle into Nnoitra. The blinded Arrancar immediately wrapped all but one arm around the pair, leaving the last hand on the wall so he knew where he was.

The blonde was in tears again, "He…he…he s-said I…I…I'm a sti-i-i-ick!" He wailed.

The Quinto growled and bent over his Betas, murder on his face, "Lemme at 'im. I'll tear 'is fuckin' tail off!"

"Now, Nnoi-kun, let Itsy take care of the idiot." Ever the level-headed Nel nuzzled her Alpha's neck, whickering and snuffling along the sensitive place under his ear. It always brought him back to where they were and what they were currently doing. Like a charm, he turned to bury his nose in her hair, and held the two of them tighter. Nel peered out of the embrace to look at Ichigo and said, with implications heavy in her voice, "Let's get Tessy back to the room so he can calm down a bit?"

Her own insult was nothing compared to taking care of the Beta she saw as her own, and as the three moved off up the stairs to their nest, she guided Nnoitra with one arm and held Tesla's hand with the other behind their Alpha's back. The male Beta of their trio was still sniffling and a loud chittering growl was heard a little while after they'd disappeared through the opening.

"Oh my." Orihime almost whimpered, leaning closer to Ulquiorra, who blinked with faint disapproval in his eyes.

Szayel had scooted over to be practically in Kisuke's lap and shook his head. "Kissu, when is Shin-kun due to be home?"

"Soon, Sza-ya, soon." The shopkeeper wrapped his arm around the pink-haired Beta.

Byakuya adjusted the pair of reading glasses he was wearing and turned back to his book without comment, though he, too, was awaiting the return of the group accompanying Shinji in retrieving something called 'last minute gifts' that he didn't completely understand. But Renji had been excited about it, so he had agreed to wait with the others at the Shoten. Privately, he had to admit this was much more enjoyable than the traditional Kuchiki Family Dinner that was more pomp and circumstance than actual family gathering.

In the kitchen, Grimmjow did NOT cower behind the island, leaning against the counter and praying that when his mate found him again that he'd be in better spirits. As such, he was NOT surprised when, a few minutes later, the back door of the Shoten opened and Shinji, Renji, Rukia, Yoruichi and Soi Fon came through it carrying bags. Therefore, the hiss he gave was entirely because he was irritated at the turn of events regarding his Beta and the other expectants in the Shoten.

Unfortunately for him, Yoruichi read him like a book. "So, what'd ya do this time, Grimmy-kun?" She teased.

He grumbled the whole story, tail lashing and ears against his head in irritation as Shinji outright laughed at his misfortune. At least Renji and Rukia had the decency to pretend not to be entertained. "And, now 'M hopin' he's calmed down some b'fore he comes back. Otherwise I'll hafta sleep in the trainin' ground t'night."

A particularly evil gleam appeared in the feline Shinigami's eye, "I could always ask Soi Fon here to lock up at her division for the night." She purred.

"Yoruichi-sama!" The temperamental Captain of the Second gasped. "That's inappropriate usage of the holding cells!" She'd do it if her Lady asked her to, but she didn't feel comfortable enough to do so without first protesting the clear violation of protocol.

"Bah. Yama-jii won't care. Once he finds out how Grimmy upset Ichi, he'll write the whole thing off as necessary detainment." Yoruichi laughed again, but her mirth was cut short when a growl cut through the air with such malice that the other Alphas in the room shivered involuntarily.

"Ya've gone an' done it now, Kitty." The albino version of Ichigo manifested on the island countertop. He dipped a finger into the bowl of cookie dough that was still sitting there as his more vibrant counterpart appeared through Sonido to crouch between the Shinigami and Grimmjow.

Already on edge from the Tesla thing and smarting from the constant reminders of his family situation, Ichigo had no patience for jokes about taking his Alpha away, even for the night. "Mine!" He growled again, "My Alpha!"

"Heh, I ain't gonna hold 'im back when he decides 'xactly how ta skin ya." Shiro sucked his finger into his mouth with a smirk.

Ichigo took a step forward, teeth bared, running on pure instinct. Shinji and Renji went wide-eyed, making a careful retreat around the island in the hopes that because the angry Beta had his attention on the females that they'd be able to escape should things get even more out of hand. If necessary they could get to Kisuke's lab and tranquilize the orangette. Yoruichi's hands flew up in deference to the hybrid, and Rukia bit her lip. Both girls recognized the need for submission from the worked up Beta. Everything would have worked out fine, but for Soi Fon.

The waspish woman glared right back, determined to defend Lady Yoruichi from what she still saw as a dangerous Ryoka boy from the Living World. Her hand drifted near her Zanpakutou and Ichigo growled again, sharp, brown eyes following her every movement. Yoruichi tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but Soi Fon shrugged her off. The two circled each other slowly, eyes locked, a low growl almost continuous from the half-Hollow.

Over their heads, Yoruichi and Grimmjow met eyes and nodded. At the same time, both felines stepped forward and wrapped their arms around their respective mates, purring. Soi Fon tried to struggle, but Yoruichi whispered, "Soi, stop it." The ebony-haired woman glared over her shoulder, affronted at being stopped but whipped back around when a louder purr joined the other two. Her eyes went wide and her frame relaxed.

Grimmjow had his nose over the Mating Mark, licking it and purring into it. The stimulation caused an instant reaction in Ichigo. The orangette slumped into his Alpha's arms, eyes falling closed and a much stronger purr radiating from his chest. Alpha was here, Alpha would take care of the threat. He was safe and nothing would hurt him or the cubs as long as Alpha was here. The Sexta reinforced that thought by turning them around so that he placed himself between Ichigo and Soi Fon. The fact that he was the whole reason the Beta had felt threatened in the first place didn't even enter into the equation where instinct was concerned. So, he continued to purr and groom his mate, holding the smaller male close in a strong embrace that spoke of endurance and protection.

"But he was…" Soi Fon questioned quietly.

Yoruichi shook her head. "He's not himself right now."

"That's the understatement o' the year, Kitty." Shiro laughed. "Good goin' by the way." He jumped down and strolled over to the three girls with a dangerous smirk. Rukia cringed, Yoruichi raised an eyebrow, and Soi Fon tensed; all three sensing he wasn't quite as calm as he appeared. He came right up to them and leaned into the captain's face. A knife appeared out of nowhere under her chin, "Next time ya threaten Blue, even as a joke, I'll slit yer throat open so fast yer wasp'll think it stung itself. Ne?" He didn't give them a chance to respond, disappearing back into his King's mindscape without even so much as a reiatsu change. The phantom knife fell to the floor with a clatter, and all three women swallowed reflexively.

"Geez, you people are all as bad as Ichi-nii." Karin broke into the tense room from outside, her cheeks flushed from the cold. Unwrapping her scarf, a present from Yuzu the year before, and taking her jacket off, she looked around the room and rolled her eyes.

Ichigo peered out from around Grimmjow to stick his tongue out at his sister, earning himself another eye roll. The Arrancar himself raised an eyebrow, not understanding what she meant, and the Shinigami looked at her as though they'd forgotten she and Toshiro were staying at the Shoten too. The captain of the Tenth entered then and frowned, slightly confused, but he didn't say anything right away.

He crossed the room, ignoring everyone else in it, grabbed a basket out of the pantry, and returned to Karin's side. "I'm going to take this over to Obaa-san, 'Rin. Did you wanna come with me?"

She almost groaned at the idea of going back out into the cold, but the light in the aqua eyes of her boyfriend made her heart melt. If she didn't like cold, she had no business being involved with the strongest ice wielder in the Soul Society, she reasoned and smiled. "Sure, Toshi." She gave him a quick kiss, fighting a flush because of how many people were standing in the kitchen witnessing the exchange, and re-donned her jacket and scarf.

The pair exited the Shoten and the Shinigami took it as a cue to leave the Espada and his mate alone. Grimmjow smiled a bit, and gripped Ichigo tighter. "C'mon, Kitten." He pulled the orangette out of the kitchen and down to their bedroom.

Once everyone left the kitchen, a spikey blonde head appeared to glance around the doorframe. "Alright, it's clear." The owner said, in a husky voice almost too low to be female.

The shuffling gate of the person behind her was slow, and unsteady. Hunched over on himself, like his midsection hurt him, the former Primera was a shadow of his once proud self. He was like an old man, bent and worn, with deep bags under his eyes and faded, grey streaks in his hair. Though the wounds he suffered at the hands of Mayuri were long healed, and he was not missing any limbs or senses, Starrk was half of himself. Lilinette, green-haired pain that she was, had not been found during the subsequent sweep of Los Noches. As such, the Arrancar Alpha was suffering from a crushing depression that kept him from interacting with any of the others unless he absolutely had to. Solitude, and the company of the only other Arrancar who could connect with him, were preferable to being surrounded by the much happier others. If there was one thing he could have from this fictional person the Humans called 'Santa' it would be to find his other half, the little girl who was sister and daughter at the same time.

So, Halibel, having been the Primera's Beta several times even before Aizen, cared for him, made sure he got enough to eat and moved around at least enough to keep his already atrophied muscles from wasting away completely. At the moment, they were in search of food. According to the orange-haired human girl that was Ulquiorra's Beta, this day brought a large feast. So, food should be plentiful enough for the canine to at least eat once. She took his hand in hers, and pulled him across the room with an energy that didn't allow any room for complaint.

Just as they were about to open the refrigerator, Szayel stepped into the kitchen on his way back down to the 'living room'. "Good to see the two of you up and about, Tercera." He smiled gently. "If you're hungry, I believe Kissu and Shin-kun are planning a large dinner together in an hour or so." He brought his hands together nervously, and looked to Starrk with hope in his golden eyes.

For a moment, it looked as though the wolf was going to decline, but something about the way the pink-haired Beta asked reminded him of the way it felt to truly have a Pack to call family. "Alright." He spoke, his voice rusty from disuse.

Szayel grinned. "Great! See you in an hour then." He practically danced off down the stairs.

Halibel turned a questioning look to Starrk and the Alpha shrugged. So, the aquatic Beta nodded silently and the two made their way back to their room to wait for supper.

Across town, the house of Isshin Kurosaki was just as quiet, though for an entirely different reason. The doctor himself sat cradling a book of pictures in the living room of the home with the lights off. He hadn't realized the sun had begun to set and the shadows were getting longer. There was no tree, no tinsel, no tangled multi-colored lights, and though the smell of cookies came from kitchen, the dejected ex-Shinigami had no desire to eat any of them. The book in his lap was opened to a page labeled 'Christmas – Ichigo: age 8; Karin & Yuzu: age 5'. It was the last Christmas the five of them had spent together before King Fisher had murdered Masaki. He drew his hand over a picture of his wife and three children. She was kneeling on the floor, holding Yuzu up to hang an ornament on the tree. Ichigo had stumbled into a box of tinsel and was laughing with a string of the silvery stuff draped through his orange spikes. The object of his laughter, Karin, was on the floor across from him with confetti and the end of a spent cracker in her hands. She looked amazed at the burnt paper, but if he looked close enough he could see the simmer of anger in her eyes.

The corner of his mouth turned up, the very next moment after he'd snapped that photo the little dark-haired girl had tackled her older brother. Both had fallen back into their mother's lap, and she had scooped them all up in a giant hug. He'd been unable to resist joining them, and the tinsel and tree had been forgotten for a while as they all laughed.

This year felt just like the one after that had, with Ichigo and Karin away, refusing to see reason. Precious Yuzu tried so hard to make the holiday happy for them, but nothing seemed to lift the storm in the former captain's heart. If only Karin hadn't met Toshiro. If only Ichigo hadn't gone off to Hueco Mundo. If only Soul Society knew how to keep its nose out of the Living World's business. If only Kisuke hadn't been able to return Ichigo's powers. If only Rukia-chan hadn't given Ichigo those powers in the first place! He scowled, running his hand over the photograph again. If she hadn't been around none of this would have happened and Ichigo would still be here. They would be putting up the tree, and his spitfire children would be trying to beat him up for goofing off instead of working.

His face grew dark, and he clenched the edges of the book so hard his knuckles turned white and the tome shook. He didn't see that though. His vision was deep within his mind, playing over and over the horrible things that had happened since he'd lost the only person who had ever made his world bright. His reiatsu grew and whipped around the room.

Unbeknownst to him, his gentle, blonde-haired daughter stood in the doorway, withstanding the storm. "Oh, Tou-san." She whispered, tears pooling in her luminous eyes. Her hair flew around her face, and she reached out a hand only to pull it back. Things had to be fixed between her father and her siblings. If they weren't she knew even more terrible things would happen.

Ducking back into the kitchen, she returned to packing a basket with cookies. Over top she laid the two blankets she'd knitted for her niece. She put her coat on, wrapped a scarf that matched Karin's, and stepped into her snow boots. With a final look at her father, she sighed and exited the home into the cold gathering darkness.

* * *

**Belly Report:**

Ichigo – 14 weeksOrihime – 33 weeksNel – 9 weeksTesla – 8 weeks 


	12. Xmas at the Shoten: Chapter 2

**A/N:** I'm not dead! I swear! XD I also haven't given up on this story, in spite that it's been forever since I updated it. I'm so sorry, minna! *bows deeply* But given the season I have a drive to finish this part at least. There will be one more chapter of the Xmas at the Shoten interlude, but I'm not sure if I'll be pushing ahead with Part 2 after next week's chapter. I may focus on a couple of the others that I know will be shorter, and finish them off before devoting my time to this one again. But I'm not going to abandon it. I swear! Ichi has to have his cubs! Thanks so much for sticking by me and having such patience. I really appreciate it. Well, happy holidays, minna. Enjoy! Ja ne!

* * *

"AH! Kissu! What'd you do to it?!" Szayel hid behind Shinji as the turkey once again exploded into flames.

The shopkeeper waved his fan at it wide-eyed, but all that did was make the flames leap higher out of the oven. "I swear I did nothing, Sza-ya!"

"Well, ya had to have done something, Kissu!" Shinji blocked the Beta instinctively with his body, watching the volatile poultry that was supposed to be part of dinner. Fortunately they had several others, given the number of people they were cooking for, but it didn't change the fact that they were now less than an hour away from sitting down at the huge table that had been assembled in the basement and this particular part of the feast had decided to continuously self-combust!

"And I am telling you, Shin-chan, I did nothing! I opened the oven door and it spit fire at me!" He jumped back as a tongue of flame tried to latch onto his hat. With a hand on it, he twisted and called, "Grimmjow! What'd you do to my oven!"

The Sexta peered out of his room with a frown. "Talk ta Nel an' Tesla. All I did was bake yer damn cookies!" He growled.

"Nu uh, Grimmy! You were methin' with the buttonth." Nel stepped out of the room across the hall, nude.

"GAH! Woman! At least don't smell like sex when ya go prancin' 'round nekkid!" The panther glared.

"Grimm, don't pick on Nel." Ichigo's voice came from within their shared room.

At the same time, Nnoitra called, "Woman! Git back in here, ya ain't finished yet!"

"Coming, Nnoi!" The green-haired Arrancar slammed the door shut but not before a final word from her Alpha was heard.

"Not yet, ya ain't."

Kisuke attempted to fan his face but the turkey shot flames through the paper. "AHG!" He jumped back again, and all three males in the kitchen went wide-eyed again.

"Well, if Nel didn't do it, Grimmjow only changed the temperature on the oven, and you didn't do anything, Kissu, then what the Hell happened to it!?" Szayel gripped Shinji's shirt with a glare at the offensive bird. "When I put it in there this morning it was a perfectly fine turkey. I stuffed it with the recipe I found in Ichigo's recipe box and I put it in the oven."

"Recipe box?" Kisuke asked.

"Yes, the little box full of recipes sitting on the counter. See?" He pointed to a small brown box with a strawberry on the lid. "It's even got his name on it."

"Eh, Sza-ya huny, that's not Ichigo's, that's Yoruichi's." Shinji looked nervous.

"Then why's it got a berry on it?" The Octavo was confused.

"For the millionth time, it doesn't mean strawberry, Kami damn it!" Ichigo groused coming into the kitchen. "It sounds like strawberry, but it's written differently! How many times do I have to go over it?!" He looked at Grimmjow as if he expected his Alpha to fix the issue.

Szayel, if anything, looked more confused. "Then…what was the recipe?"

Kisuke opened the box and pulled out the card with the picture of the bird on it. "This one right?" The scientist Arrancar nodded and his Shinigami counterpart turned his attention to reading the card. "Uh, Sza-ya, why didn't you get suspicious when it called for reiatsu?"

"I don't know about these things! We didn't celebrate Krist-mass in Hueco Mundo." The cotton candy Espada huffed.

"Christmas, hun." Shinji corrected absently.

"Whatever!" He stalked off with a wave of his hands in the air.

Ichigo shook his head. "Well, we figured out what caused it. Now what do we do about it?"

"Exploding turkey again?" Hacchi peered over Grimmjow's shoulder, where the Sexta was standing behind Ichigo.

Looking up, the blunette answered, "Yeah, somethin' 'bout Queenie's Ichigo Box."

"Hey!" The orangette scowled.

"Oh! That's an easy one." One pink-haired half-Hollow replaced the other one, as the large healer entered the kitchen, nimbly stepping around the gathered observers to dose the flaming bird with a water-based kido.

Lisa and Mashiro were behind him, having been trying to get Hiyori to wrap gifts with them, and failing. Kensei was off somewhere nursing a recently healed broken nose from the same attempts, and Love and Rose had holed themselves up in the room they shared with Lisa, refusing to come out for anything short of World War 3. Rumor had it that more Shinigami were coming as well, but Byakuya, who had claimed the corner of the couch for reading, wouldn't elaborate any further than 'it was possible'. Rukia, Jinta and Ururu were hanging paper lanterns outside, under the supervision and direction of Renji and Tessai. The large former Kido Corps Captain was the only reason any work was getting done at all. Others were scattered around the shop, doing whatever it was that made them feel more like the Christmas spirit, but all in all mostly waiting for dinner to begin.

At that moment the back door opened, letting cool, fresh winter air into the stuffy kitchen that smelled horribly of burnt, and soggy, turkey. "Uh, is this a bad time?" A small voice asked from the entryway.

"Yuzu!" Ichigo smiled, crossing the room to hug his sister. "If anybody can help us out of this pickle it's you!"

"Onii-chan!" She returned the hug with the arm not holding up the basket. She hadn't planned on staying long, but if Ichi-nii needed help, what could she do? She smiled up at him, and stepped into the kitchen. Setting the basket on the island, she unbuttoned her jacket. "How can I help?"

Everyone in the room pointed, and the blonde girl bit her lip. "Oh my…" Taking a steadying breath, a determined look came onto her features, making it obvious who's sister she was. She gave a single nod, tore off her jacket, gloves and scarf, stepped out of her snow boots, and grabbed the apron from the wall next to the stove. Wrapping it around her slim waist, she took over the kitchen. "Urahara-san, I need onions, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and any sort of sweet pepper you have available. Shinji-san, could you and your friend fill the largest pot we have half-full of fresh water? Nii-chan, I need everyone else to either clear out or wash dishes. Thank you." She had authority in her voice, but looked so sweet that it was impossible to say no.

In a flurry of movement the various tasks were being completed. Mashiro, Lisa, and Kensei were chopping vegetables. Hacchi set up washing the dishes in the sink. Ichigo was drying for the large Visored. Grimmjow and Shinji ferried clean plates and glasses down to the table. Kisuke was stuck standing over a kido flame on the opposite side of the island from the vegetable choppers, stirring a pot of water that was seasoned with the turkey juices. Yuzu, herself, stood at the stove, pulling as much meat as she could salvage from the carcass of the previously flaming poultry. This she had Szayel put into the broth Kisuke was simmering every time she filled the plate she was using to collect the meat. All in all, though the thing had been volatile and aggressive, it wasn't all that badly ruined.

No time at all found the dishes clean, the table set, and a pot of the most fragrant turkey-miso soup any of them had ever smelled before simmering quietly on the stove, having been moved from the island once the blonde Kurosaki twin was finished with pulling the meat from the bones. Once the part of waiting for the concoction to simmer had been reached all but Yuzu fled the kitchen, some more traumatized by the explosive bird than others.

"Mmm. Smells like home cooking in here!" Karin called from the back door. She took off her boots and entered, carrying a tray of dried fruit wrapped in dough and baked.

"Karin-chan!" Yuzu called happily from her place stirring the soup.

"I knew it was you, 'Zu! Nobody cooks like you!" The brunette set her tray down and glomped her sister.

Behind her, Toshiro grumbled a bit, carrying a roasted turkey almost bigger than he was. "Family reunions are fine, but can we finish bringing in the things Obaa-san gave us?" He grunted, also pushing his burden onto the kitchen island.

"Oh my." Yuzu said for a second time, as she took in the perfectly cooked fragrant poultry. "Karin-chan, come stir this, I'll get some of the guys to help you." Her twin took over the stirring, and the blonde dashed down the stairs. "Ulquiorra-san, Grimmjow-san, could you bring a couple of others up to the kitchen, please?" She asked with a smile without coming all the way down into the living room.

Ichigo and Orihime returned the smile, and answered, in tandem, "Of course, Yuzu." Though Orihime added a '-chan' to the end of the hybrid's sister's name.

The Sexta and the Cuarto said nothing, though both weren't too happy about being pulled away from their Betas. Getting up off of the couches prompted Byakuya and Szayel, who'd also heard the request, to prod Renji and Kisuke, respectively. The four males climbed the stairs dutifully, and the four left in the living room shared a secretive smile that only Betas could really understand. Along the way, they picked up Love, Shinji, Rose, Tessai, Kensei and Jinta to help as well.

After the giant turkey and the platter of sweet rolls came vegetable casseroles, baked and fried potatoes, all manner of cakes and cookies, and several jugs of what looked to be sweet sake. All of this was brought inside from the cart Obaa-san had lent to her favorite dead grandson and his girlfriend and lined up in the kitchen, though some of it had to be held rather than set down.

"Oh my." Yuzu intoned for a third time. The wheels in her head were spinning, and it was obvious that she was figuring out how it could all go together. Whatever the Shinigami and half-Hollows had been planning before she got there was completely thrown out the window now that the Kurosaki chef was in the Shoten.

After a few moments where everyone stood around looking a bit lost and waiting for someone to decide something, Yuzu nodded and struck her palm with her hand. "Got it!"

Everyone leaned in slightly.

"Let's get everything downstairs. Hacchi-san, could you and Tessai-san please conjure us another table for serving?" The blonde smiled and the two Kido masters set to work in the training-turned-dining room.

As soon as it was finished, she whipped a blanket she'd found in the linen closet over the glowing structure and directed the line of foodstuffs to be arranged flanking the beautiful turkey Obaa-san had roasted. The light from below the tablecloth made the whole thing look like it was lit by candles, which went well with the nocturnal appearance of the false sky of the underground cavern. To add to the effect Tessai created floating kido lights that Rukia, Ururu, and Orihime placed inside paper shades to simulate lanterns like the ones adorning the front of the shop. Yuzu smiled, happily making minor adjustments here and there as she added the dishes the Visored and Espada already had to the feast Obaa-san had provided.

Stepping back, the gathered crowd let out a collective sigh at how pretty it was. Or rather, most of them did. The Alphas too proud to give such sentiments voice in public either pretended not to notice or scoffed with an eye roll. The Betas, Rukia, Yuzu and Kisuke, however, shared an expression of appreciation.

"Mah, Yuzu-chan, ya made it perfect." Shinji complimented.

Yuzu bowed and beamed, "Arigato gozaimasu, Shinji-san!"

The Pack Alpha flashed his signature grin, "But I wouldn't want any sneaky noses gettin' inta all of it b'fore we're ready ta sit down. Maybe a certain captain of the Second could watch over it? Jus' til everybody's here and we're all ready fer it?"

The slim brunette almost huffed and said no, but for the combined looks from both Yuzu and Yoruichi. Under the dual influence of the subtle women, she flinched, and drew herself up with pride. "Anything for Yoruichi-sama!"

"And how do we know you won't simply let the Demon Cat have access once all of our backs are turned?" Came Byakuya's quiet response, looking out of the corner of his eye down at the smaller brunette.

"Ah! Why you…!" Soi Fon glared.

"Mah, Bya-bo has a point, Bee." Yoruichi positively grinned. "That's a mighty fine looking bird on that table." If she'd been in her cat form her tail would have been swaying in interest.

"Then maybe Hacchi-san could watch too?" Yuzu asked, looking up at the large Visored. He nodded with a small smile, and the girl beamed again.

"Heh. Figures a house cat like ya c'n't keep yer paws offa bird like that, Queenie." Grimmjow sneered, holding Ichigo from behind and his own tail making the motions that Yoruichi wished she could.

Next to him, Ulquiorra closed his eyes, curling the tip of his tail in a counter point to the blue feline's. "As though the thought had not crossed your mind, Sexta?"

"Oi! Izzat a poke at me bein' feline, Cifer?!" The blunette growled.

"Grimm!" Ichigo scowled up at him, but neither had a chance to respond.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" The drunken shout rang through the shop. All heads in the dining room turned towards the stairs as Rangiku, flanked by the usual drinking crew, bounded their way down. "Hey, hey, hey! Let's get this party started!" The over-exuberant blonde produced four bottles of Shunsui's finest sake from her shihakusho sleeves and gave a little shimmy that had her assets jiggling for all to see.

Toshiro growled, "Matsumoto!"

"Aw, Taicho! It's the holidays, loosen up!" The lush shoved a bottle into his hands. "Here, get yer girlfriend drunk and get laid!" She laughed at his sputtering blush and danced over to Kisuke. "Urahara-san, Taicho's so mean to me! Come drink with me."

"Ah, I'd love to, Matsumoto-san, but alas I am held captive by the lovely Kurosaki Yuzu-san." The shopkeeper gestured to the smaller blonde woman, who had made her way over to the bottle that Toshiro was holding like it was going to bite him. While they watched, she took it, dabbed a tiny bit of the alcohol on her finger and licked it.

"Mm, very good vintage. You brewed this yourself…?" She asked, looking quizzically up at the flamboyant captain of the Eighth.

"Kyoraku Shunsui, at your service, my lady, and hai, that I do." The brunette had exchanged his typical pink kimono for one in red, and his straw hat was decorated with tinsel in red and green. He swooped across the room to take and kiss her hand.

She blushed deeply, taking her hand back as soon as was polite to do so. A soft chuckle from behind Shunsui made her tilt her head around the larger man. The snowy-haired captain of the Thirteenth, never far away from his beloved partner, smiled gently.

"Shun, I believe you're making the young lady uncomfortable."

"Ah, Juu-chan, I apologize!" He swung back to take his lover's hand and plant kisses all over the knuckles.

Jushiro laughed, a very light dusting of pink on his cheeks. "Shun…"

"LISA!" Shunsui's vice-captain dropped her decorum for once and ran across the room like she was a small child again to hug her long-lost almost-sister.

"Nanao!" Lisa hugged her back and the pair spun around.

Hiyori and Karin rolled their eyes before being glomped by Kensei's Beta. "Mashiro wants hugs too!" She cooed.

"AUGH! Let go, Buggy!" Hiyori tried to reach for her sandal but couldn't.

Karin squirmed, but being more used to the physical affections of her father, mostly went along with the enthusiastic gesture.

"Mashi." Kensei raised an eyebrow, and the green-haired Visored looked up. "Let the girls breathe." This prompted the Beta to release the other two females and pounce her Alpha, who caught her easily after she bounced off of his vice-captain, flattening the tattooed male. Kensei rolled his eyes, "Mashi…"

"What? Mashiro let go of Blondie and Moody!" Her expression was too innocent.

Hisagi twitched and climbed to his feet rubbing his head. He was fine until Rangiku boob-smashed him, clutching him close and squealing something unintelligible due to his ears being blocked by her assets.

"Matsumoto!" Toshiro groused again, his eyebrow twitching.

"Taicho!" She whined, but released Hisagi at least enough so he could breathe.

The captain of the Tenth glared. "You are upsetting my girlfriend. Stop flailing about like a wanton idiot."

"Hmph." The strawberry-blonde crossed her arms under her breasts and downright pouted.

"Oh, Shiro-chan, don't be so hard on her." His sister-in-all-but-blood smiled next to him and held her hand out to Karin. "Hinamori Momo, pleased to meet you, Karin-chan. Shiro-chan has told me so much about you."

"Eh." Karin rubbed the back of her head in vague mimicry of her brother, "Nice to meet you too, I guess. I really sorta suck at all this formality stuff. That's more 'Zu's bag, but if you're important to Toshi, you're important to me too." She smiled, attempting to be reassuring, but failing somewhat. The other petite girl didn't comment on it if she noticed.

She merely smiled, took Karin's hand and drew their faces close together. "If you hurt him, I'll make sure your soul ends up in the 80th district of the Rukongai. Understand?" Her voice was sweet and she wore the brightest smile the dark-haired Kurosaki twin had ever seen, but sparks, like the those from a campfire, flickered in her eyes, and it was obvious she meant every word.

With a nervous laugh and a disturbed expression, Karin shook her head. "Oh kay then I won't." She drew out the syllables deliberately, and was quite grateful when a tall, blonde man stepped up to take Momo away.

"Aw, Kira-kun, I wasn't being mean. Honest." The Fifth's fukutaicho half-pouted up at her boyfriend.

He smiled understandingly down at her. "I know, Momo-chan, but you were getting a little scary. Maybe we should go visit with Rukia-san and Renji-san?" He directed her over to where the aforementioned fukutaichos were chatting easily with Isane and Iba.

The two morphed into the group easily, and together the six vice-captains moved off to discuss the current goings on in the Soul Society since last Rukia and Renji were there. Due to the issue with Mayuri, the two had been officially stationed to the Living World to help keep an eye on and protect those that had been held captive by the psychotic scientist. The Central 46 weren't taking any chances with anyone who had been under his influence for even a short time.

A short time later, Sado and Ishida arrived, bringing more food that Yuzu had to fit onto the table like a gigantic puzzle. She managed it, but were it not for the fact that it was made of kido cast by the very best masters in the Soul Society everyone would have feared for its integrity under the weight of the banquet about to be enjoyed.

Dinner was easily the most chaotic affair Ichigo had ever attended. Afterward he supposed that it all started with the tussle over serving Jushiro's dinner. Everyone was seated, Yuzu directed a line of servers, including the Third Seats from the Thirteenth, to gather plates of food for the rest. With over fifty people to feed, the blonde Kurosaki twin brought the knowledge from her college courses, which was about the only thing that kept the feast from dissolving into blades and spells.

"UKITAKE-TAICHO! YOUR DINNER!" Kotsubaki Sentaro held the plate piled with food high above his head.

"NO! UKITAKE-TAICHO! I HAVE YOUR DINNER!" Isane Kiyone shoved her co-seat to the side offering a second plate, equally as weighed down.

"I SAID I WAS GETTING IT!" The dark haired Shinigami slammed his plate down in front of the pale captain.

Not to be outdone, the blonde mimicked him with a glare. "YOU DID NOT! I SAID I WAS GETTING IT! I KNOW WHAT TAICHO LIKES BETTER THAN YOU!"

"**I** KNOW WHAT TAICHO LIKES BETTER!"

"YOU BLUNDERING OAF! YOU WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOOD IF IT BIT YOU ON THE NOSE!"

The two were leaning over Jushiro's head now, foreheads pressed together and growling. A tittering of nervous laughter mingled with rolled eyes and several people groaning at the all-too-common display of hostility between the two. A sly smile on the face of one captain of the Eighth as he snuck under the cover of more badly withheld giggles, to snatch the gentle Shinigami from under the man's subordinates, knowing he'd never have the heart to tell them to stop, as he never did.

"Come, Juu-chan!" The flamboyant brunette curled his lover into his side with a winning smile and pointed above them with his other hand.

A delicate hand covered his mouth as his sparkling green eyes caught sight of a long arching 'wing' of white with gentle crimson 'feathers' hanging the deadly white-berried plant that was the bane of every single person's existence at this time of the year. Those closest to the growling pair began to chuckle harder, and as the first full-out laughs broke through their continued argument, they froze looking around confused.

Szayel wiggled the tip of his 'wing' making the bells around the mistletoe jingle lightly, which drew their attention above them. Horror drained the color from Kiyone's cheeks as Sentaro's flushed the color of the tablecloth. As one they looked at each other and swallowed loudly.

Near the other side of the serving table, Tesla leaned closer to Nel, "What's the point of the plant?"

Ulquiorra, on the other side of the former Tercera, intoned, "It is a human holiday tradition. The two must kiss."

"But why?" The slender Arrancar looked thoroughly confused.

Nnoitra leaned on him. "Why's it matter? They're humans. They don't hafta make sense."

"According to Orihime the humans do it to ward off bad luck." The husky alto of the Thirteenth's Fukutaicho broke into the Hollows' conversation as she drifted over with a pitcher of something she'd been told was a traditional drink for the meal, though who'd want to drink eggs she wasn't sure. "Seireitei started doing the first year we were in Karakura back then. Personally, I think it's good for them. They've been dancing around each other for years about this."

She set the pitcher down and Nel grinned at her. "It does thound an awful lot like a Mating Chathe."

"You mean that thing that Qui-kun said was why he went after me when Grimm-kun kidnapped me from Los Noches?" Orihime asked brightly, balancing her plate on her belly.

Before they could answer, Uryuu adjusted his glasses and intoned in his haughty way, "It would figure Shinigami would be no more evolved than the Hollows they fight."

"Ishida-kun!" The healer princess frowned at him, making him flush and mutter about needing to find cookies.

Further conversation was halted by a growing chant of "Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss" started by Shuuhei and Rangiku across the table from the collection of Arrancars and humans. Much to Byakuya's embarrassment Renji joined in, throwing an arm around Izuru to make him add to the din. Mashiro balanced on Kensei's shoulders screeching almost above the others, and Ikkaku elbowed Yumichika, though the Fifth Seat merely rolled his eyes and leveled the co-Third Seats his most disdainful look.

Sentaro looked at Kiyone. Kiyone looked at Sentaro. Both appeared caught between panic and shame, but shakily they leaned in toward each other and screwing up their faces in the most comical of ways, they kissed. It was short, barely touching, and even Yoruichi couldn't have done it faster, but after they stared at each other like the rest of the party's noise didn't exist, in spite that the roar was enough to rattle the kido-lanterns around the ceiling.

"Al'ight, 'nough pussy shit, let's eat!" Kenpachi's voice cut through the raucous cheers.

And Nnoitra echoed him, "Here here! What's holdin' up th' food, woman!?"

"We must have patience, Gilga-kun." Yuzu came out from around the table to place a plate in front of the mantid Hollow.

"Fuck patience. Hunger inn't sum'thin' ta take fer granted." He shot back, but was immediately beamed across the head with a biscuit.

"Knock it th' Hell off, Nnoitra!" Grimmjow growled.

The look of rage on the Quinto's face made a few of the weaker personalities, like Hanataro, duck behind things, but Ikkaku laughed, "What'sa matter, Bug-boy? Can't handle a pussy cat anymore?"

"If I could see where th' fuck th' shithead was he'd be dead by now." Nnoitra hissed.

"Hmph. Tousen was blind, but you didn't hear him complaining about his weaknesses, did you, Komamura-Taicho?" Yumichika flipped his hair. "So unbecoming."

The wolf-man looked up from where he was chewing on a ham bone and blinked, the insides of his ears staining pink as attention was drawn to him. He swallowed loudly and shook his head. "No. Kaname never let his disability hold him back, even in the end he said he saw more when he was blind than when his Inner Hollow gave him sight."

The fighters turned back to arguing with each other about sparring after dinner, but a soft voice brought Sajin's ear around, "Might you know where I might find one of those?"

Looking down, the captain of the Seventh had to blink several times at the broken man in front of him. "I…Yuzu-chan had them for anyone who was so inclined. May I inquire as to who you are? Your scent is familiar and yet not."

"My name is Coyote Starrk. I was the Espada Primera under Aizen." The wavy-haired Hollow turned his left hand over to display the numeral on the back for emphasis.

"I see. Well, Komamura Sajin, Captain of the Seventh Division of the Gotei 13. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am always interested in getting to know fellow canines. Walk with me a while, and tell me of yourself? Living in the desert must be so draining, but having a moon constantly overhead…"

Their voices faded into the overall crowd as the pair moved off to find a second ham bone for the other wolf. Left behind the blonde current Tercera smiled, her right arm crossed over her ribs protectively to grasp her left bicep. She moved over to take her own seat at the table, nibbling lightly on the plate of treats she had just brought for the Alpha who'd just departed.

Back at the head of the table, in an effort to escape the growing madness between the Hollows and the Shinigami, Hanataro glanced around warily, walking backwards. Unbeknownst to him, the little blonde hostess was coming up from the other direction. And above them both, hanging lazily, because his attention was on a conversation between Shinji and Kisuke, Szayel's 'wing' held the mistletoe out where any poor person could unwittingly get caught under it. So, when the two short, gentle souls ran into each other, it really was kismet that they landed together under the cursed plant.

"AH!" Hanataro spun and almost fell but for the delicate human hand grasping his kosode.

"Oh my!" Yuzu blinked, steadying herself with the same hand that kept the brunette from falling.

Immediately, the quiet healer bowed deeply, "I'm so terribly sorry, Ms. Kurosaki-chan!"

Her tinkling laughter brought his slow blue-grey eyes up to look at her face, highlighted and haloed by the soft glow of the golden kido lantern above their heads. However, it also brought the mistletoe into silhouette. So, the pale man's cheeks flushed a deep pink and he sputtered.

"Y-you're really beautiful! Ah! I mean…"

"Thank you, Yamada-san." She smiled brightly, balancing the tray of drinks she'd almost spilled with her other hand, as she still hadn't removed the one wrapped in his kosode.

She did so now, bringing it up to cup his flustered jawline. The kiss she gave him was no more than a friendly peck on the lips, but as she moved off to the other side of the serving table, he couldn't help but stare after her like a lost puppy. Then he was sprawled on the ground with an exclamation of shock. Looking up, the imposing figure of the captain of the Eleventh towered over him.

"G-g-gomenesai, Kenpachi-taicho!" He scrambled back to his feet, bowing profusely.

Zaraki sucked his teeth and was about to add some sort of scathing remark, but a soft cough brought both of their attention to the large fighter's immediate right. Unfortunately this had Hanataro bowing even deeper, tripping over himself in apologies.

"Now, now, Yamada-san," His captain smiled gently, "Why don't you go offer your services to Kurosaki-kun. I'm sure he would appreciate being able to sit down for a while."

"H-hai, Taicho!" The small brunette dashed off.

"Feh. An' ya yell at me fer scarin' m' subord'nates." Kenpachi smirked down at the healer. She directed her smile up at him, and he couldn't quite suppress the shiver that ran down his spine. He did, however, grin like a madman, "Fuck but yer sexy when yer scary!"

"Thank you, Zaraki-Taicho. Now, why don't we see about getting some more nutritious food into young Yachiru? She's been carrying on for quite some time now, and I do believe Sarugaki-san and Hanakari-kun are beginning to tire of chasing her." Unohana didn't wait for her partner to answer, knowing full well that he understood following her suggestion would be very intelligent of him. So, she merely smiled more on her way to joining her oldest friends in gathering a bite to eat when she heard his bellowing from a short distance away.

Once the pink menace was under control, Hiyori and Jinta collapsed against one another, simply too tired to even care about the way they were sitting. At least, until Karin approached them and laughed. Then they quickly scrambled apart and glared at her.

"Aw, knock it off and come get food before the preggos eat it all." The dark-haired Kurosaki taunted.

As the last of the plates were doled out among the gathered celebrants, quiet conversation trumped outbursts of gaiety, though occasionally a guffaw or shout punctuated the rumbling sea of voices. Ichigo smiled, fingers linked with Grimmjow's over their cubs, and leaned back against his mate. As usual, his little sister had turned utter chaos into a seamless, well-oiled, machine of good feeling and even better food. He sighed in contentment. The steps taken on both the part of the Hollows and the Shinigami were really important. Now, if only they could get Central 46 to see this part of the way things were all of his worries would be solved. Well, maybe not all, but certainly a good percentage of them.

Grimmjow was about to make a comment about the change in his mood, when a disturbance down near the foot of the table drew their attention. A Senkaimon had appeared, causing Halibel to shift closer to Kensei, who had a firm hold on the collar of Mashiro's jumpsuit, as the insectoid Visored wanted to jump at the gate. However, when the doors opened, the stoic and well-mannered appearance of the First's Fukutaicho put many of the others at ease.

The rest were reassured when he spoke, "Good morrow, gathered friends, on this holiday feast. I bring glad tidings from Seireitei, and having completed our duties for the evening, Taicho and I thought it might be nice to join in your festivities. That is, if we are welcome?"

A general murmur of semi-confusion rumbled through the crowd, as all eyes were on the newcomer. Then Yuzu broke through it with a broad smile, coming up to the silver-haired Shinigami. "Of course, you're welcome! Come, you can sit up with us at the serving table since most of everyone has their food already."

"Thank you kindly, Kurosaki-chan." Sasakibe bowed with a warm smile. "I have brought a fruitcake as an offering for your table. I'm told that it is a tradition to offer the hostess a token of appreciation for the meal."

She took the offered dessert with the same smile, in spite that several of the others around her, human and Shinigami alike, winced or turned green at the thought of having to taste the hated dish. It was a short-lived distraction, however, as the Senkaimon opened once again and standing in the blinding light was something no one at the celebration had ever thought was possible. He was dressed in a deep red coat, trimmed with white fur, black snow boots on his feet, and although his staff was there, he also carried a large sack, bulging with what appeared to be gifts.

Silence reigned in the underground cavern as shock in varying degrees sank into each person gathered there. The object of their attention cleared his throat in a way that would have been uncertain had he been absolutely anyone else. Because it was him though, it merely broke the spell his appearance had cast upon the group.

Ichigo was the only one who could get his tongue working, however, "Y-Yama-jii?!"

* * *

**Belly Report:**

Ichigo – 14 weeks

Orihime – 33 weeks

Nel – 9 weeks

Tesla – 8 weeks


	13. Xmas at the Shoten: Chapter 3

**A/N:** Konnichiwa, minna! Here we go, the last chapter of the A&B Xmas Special. Part 2 will be following, but I think I'll be taking a short break with it. I wanna get a couple of the others wrapped up before pushing this forward more. I Remember You and Lament of the Succubus are much shorter than this one. So, clearing those from my desk will help me re-focus. I'm also going to be trying to write my own original fiction here soon. Anybody know of a good place I could dry-run it when I get some stuff done? Let me know in the reviews if you do. X3 Anyways, small reminder, text in bold **like this** is Shiro talking through Ichi's mouth. Enjoy!

* * *

"Is the appropriate phrase not, 'ho ho ho'?" The Sotaicho glanced around the room at the stunned silence.

Then, out of nowhere, Yachiru landed on his bag of gifts and presents. Everyone held their breath as they waited to see what the old man would do. When all that happened was a hearty laugh, Hanataro fainted behind Yuzu.

Yamamoto set the bag on the ground and Sasakibe provided a large chair, also out of nowhere that looked suspiciously like the one from the captains' meeting room. Once 'Santa' was seated, Yachiru bounced into his lap with a squeal, as once again everyone in the room held their breath.

They need not have worried however, as it turned out that Yamamoto had an extremely soft spot for children, and not-quite-children-anymore. It seemed to be that the Sotaicho was quite taken with the idea of Saint Nicholas, and whole-heartedly embraced the idea of celebrating once a year by giving gifts to all of those he cared about. This was no surprise to the students who had been with him the longest, but to the younger Shinigami, and all of the Hollows, it was a bit unnerving as he handed Yachiru a box wrapped in brightly colored paper.

As expected of the Eleventh's fukutaicho, the pink-haired menace tore into the box like a tie-dyed Tasmanian Devil, scraps of paper flying everywhere to the sound of Kenpachi's proud guffaws. The violent captain's unrestrained enjoyment of the situation did nothing to make the more nervous souls relax at all.

"A KITTEEEEEEEEE!" She shrieked at last, holding up a hair decoration much like the crossed bones she was currently wearing, but it was a cat's skeleton with a little red heart on its chest. She dashed off immediately, "Braidy-lady! Put it on!"

All attention was taken from Retsu's application of the hair clip, however when Yamamoto cleared his throat. "Hitsugaya-Taicho and Kurosaki Karin."

The crowd pushed the scowling pair to the front, and Grimmjow had to forcibly hold onto his Beta to keep the orangette from getting in the way. He murmured something in Ichigo's ear, and those who were paying attention to them saw the Lead Beta relax, but not without a grumbling scowl.

"Yes, Sotaicho?" Toshiro asked, the tension in his back and chin painting his nervousness clear as day for all who knew him, in spite of the deep glower on his face and attempt at professionalism.

Beside him, Karin wasn't much better. Arms crossed over her chest and a glare that matched her brother's knitting her eyebrows together. She knew what had happened to her father when he fell in love with her mother, and was perfectly ready to defend both herself and her boyfriend if it came down to it.

The old man held out a small insect cage. Inside, two delicate jigokuchou fanned their wings gently; one had bright yellow banding, the other a blue so light as to almost be white, "These will carry you both safely through the Dangai whenever you need them. Their names are Yuki and Taiyo. Some of us are proud of the growing relations among the three worlds, do not forget you have a place to call home."

The snowy-haired captain of the Tenth blushed furiously to a round of suggestive congratulations, as his girlfriend pounced him in a show of uncharacteristic joy, "Toshi! We don't have to stay here anymore!"

More of the crowd was beginning to relax, enjoying ribbing the receivers as they were thrust into the foreground where everyone watched them. In the background, Juushiro leaned against his lover with a wistful smile on his face.

"Remember our first celebration with the Sotaicho, Shun-kun?"

The brunette was quick to laugh, "Very well, Juu-chan. Yama-jii scared the tabi off me. It took Restu and—"

"Oh look," The captain of the Thirteenth interrupted him with a point to the center of the circle around the Sotaicho. "Young Kurosaki-san is up next."

The book the blonde eighteen-year-old received was old; very old. The cover was leather, cracking and faded to the point of being unreadable, but the vellum within was shiny and soft. Delicately drawn calligraphy in ebony ink as fresh as the day it was written displayed a veritable cornucopia of recipes.

"This was my grandmother's. I think you'll find it quite useful." The revered silence over the ancient text was broken by the man dressed as Father Christmas speaking softly, with a tender wistfulness that betrayed his emotions. "No one in the three worlds could cook like she could, and your indelible spirit, Yuzu-chan, reminds me of her."

"Arigato, Ojii-san!" The blonde reached up to give the old man a great big hug and a kiss on the cheek, clutching the precious book to her chest with a huge, infectious smile on her face. Unfortunately the tension was such that Hanataro fainted again, and she bit her lip concerned. "Oh…oh, dear."

Yamamoto chuckled, and the last of those who were standing around nervously took it as a cue to relax as well, joining in on the mirth, as Yuzu and Momo helped the small healer back to his feet. He blushed and smiled nervously between them, setting off another round of laughter.

The Shinigami moved on, beginning to bring out gifts for each other while the Sotaicho continued to hand out what he had for the others one at a time, calling their names as Sasakibe fished their presents from the bag. Observing the party from the background, Ichigo smiled, the previous fright regarding his sisters vanished like the wind, but a pit of uneasiness settled in his stomach, detaching him from the shared warmth of the holiday gathering. When it became too much to bear, he pulled away from his Alpha's embrace.

"Kitten?" The Sexta's ears perked slightly.

"I'm alright. I just need a breath of fresh air. It's stuffy down here with this many people all crammed into one place." The orangette gave another soft smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Knowing they'd discuss whatever it was later, Grimmjow just nodded, letting his mate go, though the tip of his tail twitched back and forth in concern as the cub-heavy hybrid climbed the stairs to the Shoten proper. The blunette waited all of five minutes before slinking after his Beta silently. His absence was noted by Ulquiorra, Shinji, and Kisuke, but an exchanged glance among them shared the agreement that if the pair wanted to be alone, the best thing the other members of their pack could do was to keep their senses peeled for threats.

Outside, Ichigo breathed the frigid air in deeply, wrapping the winter jacket tighter around his not-as-slender frame to keep out the wind that promised a flurry before dawn. He let Shiro rise to the surface of his mind, though the Hollow was sluggish, and content to just purr in his King's mind under the light of the moon as it played hide and seek with the snow-heavy clouds. The albino did, however, use the control he had on the orangette's left side to stroke his hand down over the place where the coat belled out to cover his belly. The melancholy that had tugged at the hybrid's heart all day, all season really, disappeared in that instant, because although there were three layers of thick cloth between his gloved hand and his stomach, internally he felt flutters and kicks that told him all four of his cubs were growing stronger.

"I didn't think you'd risk coming out here alone, _son_."

The clipped tone from the shadows, brought Ichigo's mismatched gaze down from the moon to land on the weary man standing across the street in the black trench coat and matching fedora. His hands were in his pockets and he hunched his shoulders to keep off the chill, in spite of the brightly colored scarf that was just barely peeking out of the collar of his coat.

Shiro disappeared immediately, not wanting to cause more trouble. So, in spite of the continued hold the Hollow had on his King's left hand, protectively still resting on his baby bump, the orangette's voice was normal when he said, "Merry Christmas, Goat Face."

"Right." The former captain snorted, not quite glaring.

"Would you want something to eat? There's still plenty left from dinner." It was killing him to have the distance between the two of them, but he did his best to keep his voice steady.

For a moment, it seemed as though his father was going to take him up on the offer, but something hard flashed in the older Kurosaki's eyes. "I came for Yuzu. Please, go get her for me."

The hybrid bit his tongue forcibly to still the words that threatened to burst from his mouth, but mentally he did have Shiro put their left hand in their pocket. The Inner Hollow could still soothe himself by rubbing small circles on the side of their belly with their thumb through the lining without being obvious to the man across the street. To make the motion look more natural, and give the illusion that his Hollow wasn't just under the surface, Ichigo tucked his right hand in the pocket at the same time.

"I…I think she's still busy with Yama-jii downstairs. He gave her a cookbook or something." The Beta looked off to the side, a thousand questions playing across his features.

Silence stretched between them, as Isshin was in no hurry to leave, nor would he come any closer to the young man who had been the small orange-haired boy that cried at the drop of a hat before his mother was forcibly taken from them. He would never say it out loud but he was actually quite proud of how strong of character his weakling son had become. If only the boy hadn't gotten mixed up in all of that Shinigami business! He didn't realize how sensitive the Beta's hearing was as he let the barely audible growl escape his lips into the frozen air.

Shiro responded before Ichigo could stop him, "**Why do you hate us?!**"

The end of the sentence was choked off, but the words carried through the still night anyway, drawing a harder, more prominent glare onto Isshin's face. "An abomination like you couldn't possibly understand what it's like to watch my only son corrupted by the likes of you! You and all of your kind should be cleansed, especially now that we have proof that you can breed!"

The orangette actually took a step back, his eyes going wide at the implications of his father's hissed declaration. It made him gasp and lose the precious control he had over Shiro's tongue. "**I wouldn't understand?! Do you have any idea what it's like to be hunted down for just existing!? To be forced into exile and dominated by beings who would like nothing more than to run you through?! You disgust me! You call us abominations but here you are despising your own kin. At least we care for our cubs, no matter how they turn out!**"

"Shii!" Ichigo cut in, but the damage had been done.

Isshin stalked closer, and what they had previously thought of as a trench coat revealed itself to be a winter-weight kosode, adapted from his standard Shinigami uniform specifically by the weather. It happened to all shihakusho whenever a Shinigami was on a long mission in a place where the seasons changed and had no access to get the different fabrics available in the Soul Society itself. So, as the wind picked up again, blowing the billowing sleeves and wide legs of Isshin's uniform, Engetsu was exposed in full, the hilt glinting dangerously in the moonlight.

Seeming to know his son better than first glance showed, the former captain did not draw his Zanpakutou. He merely began to cross the distance between them. Ichigo backed up another couple of steps, every instinct in his body screaming that closing the gap was a bad idea, but he couldn't bring himself to summon either his mask or Zangetsu on his father. He just couldn't. His heart clenched in his chest, and the corners of his eyes burned, as he recognized the killing intent in the steely glare approaching him.

"D-Dad, wait! Don't do this! Please…" He hated how weak the last word came out, but he couldn't help it when his father's hand drifted towards that deadly blade that was so similar to his own.

He stumbled, landing on his rear in the snow and bringing his hands up, empty, to guard against the blow he could see coming. Unable to do anything else against the man who had sired him, the orangette winced, eyes closed and terror gripping him the likes of which no other foe had ever inspired. He heard the slide of metal against its sheath and tensed his body to roll so he could attempt to protect the cubs.

He went numb, mentally and physically. His father was going to kill him. He couldn't feel the snow seeping through his clothes anymore, nor the icy wind on his exposed cheeks. His eyes didn't want to open, didn't want to see the look of murder on his father's face. His tongue thickened and his throat closed around sobs that he refused to let escape. He felt like someone had placed sound-cancelling headphones over his ears. His warrior's experience helped him sense the tension in the air as Engetsu came down over his curled shoulder, but the blow never landed.

Shock brought him the return of his senses, all at once. He whipped his head around to hear the sharp clang of swords connecting at the same time that his eyes went wide at the figure standing over him. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Instead, his body saw fit to take in great gulps of air, as though he'd been running or submerged underwater.

"Go home, Isshin." Yamamoto's gravelly voice broke over the roar of reiatsu.

Warm, strong hands gripped Ichigo's bicep, and the next thing the orangette knew, he was wrapped in the safe, hard-as-steel embrace of his Alpha. The panther was snarling lowly at his father. To one side of the clashing Shinigami Shinji, Kisuke, Renji, Kenpachi, Shunsui, Kensei and Love had their Zanpakutou drawn. To the other side Ulquiorra, Halibel, and Szayel had their claws and teeth bared. All were ready to attack at the slightest provocation by the hybrid's sire.

The dark-haired former captain looked around at the gathered crowd and sneered. "I never anticipated you'd join their side of things, Old Man."

"We all make mistakes." Neither the Sotaicho, nor the exiled former captain gave an inch, though Ichigo suspected the older Shinigami was holding back a great deal so as to not harm the underpowered Arrancar and the cubs.

"I'm just following the example I was given. Is that such a problem?" Isshin snapped back.

"Don't allow old prejudices to cloud your judgement. Do not make the same mistake I made." Yamamoto frowned deeply. "I thought you knew better than that."

Ichigo's father raised his reiatsu, shouting as the wind picked up again due to the others around the open space responding with their own. "This is nothing like that! I was a full grown man! I met her on assignment! My children are just that! CHILDREN!"

"Look around ya, Isshin!" Shinji called. "This isn't what ya think it is."

"You stay out of this, Hirako!" The brunette shifted his eyes to the Pack Alpha for a moment. "This is between me and the abomination that's corrupted my son!"

Grimmjow screamed in the way of mountain lions, and were it not for the presence of Ichigo in his arms, he'd have launched himself at the offending former Shinigami. The way his muscles bunched told all who knew him that in a very short while, if more insults like that were thrown around, the Sexta wouldn't be able to hold himself back any longer.

Nnoitra cut across the animalistic noises, swinging his head from side to side, inhaling deeply, "Where is the slimy fucker exactly? I c'n smell his dead ass! Lemme at 'im! I'll show 'im how much of a 'bomination' I c'n be!"

"Leave, Kurosaki! And take your prejudice with you!" Ulquiorra growled, "I will not hold my comrades back should you continue to provoke them. Attempting to harm a pregnant Beta is tantamount to high treason to a Hollow."

If Isshin had any reply he was preempted by similar sentiments being echoed from the Visored Alphas and a good percentage of the Shinigami, both in the semi-circle and those watching from the doorway of the Shoten, where most of the party had gathered to find out what all the fuss was about. As the din grew louder, Yamamoto silenced it with a single word.

"Enough!"

The former Shinigami captain gathered his strength, preparing for something. A strike against the Sotaicho? Kido? More angry words? None were sure what, but his pomp and bluster left him when a small voice cut through the tension.

"Otousan! Please, stop!"

Yuzu pushed her way through the crowd, until she was standing between her father and her brother next to the Sotaicho. Her wide brown eyes over-bright and pleading, as she clutched the basket she had brought with her when she arrived to her chest.

"We can go home now. I've packed up enough food to celebrate with you, and I've left the presents for Nii-chan and Karin-chan. Please, Otousan, I wanna go home." Her voice wavered with unshed tears.

All around them Shinigami and Hollow alike softened, sympathy crossing most of their faces, sword tips falling to point at the snow, and averted eyes to give the father and daughter some privacy. For a few tense moments it seemed as though Isshin was going to disregard his daughter, but then he too relaxed, sagging as if under a great weight. He pulled his reiatsu back, sheathed his Zanpakutou, prompting the Sotaicho to do the same, and turned his back on the crowd.

"Come, Yuzu." Was all he said as he began to walk off, shoulders hunched against the cold.

The blonde Kurosaki twin hesitated for a moment. Then she turned to give tight hugs to her brother and Grimmjow as a unit, knowing better than to try and separate them; her sister, who was in the doorway to the Shoten; Toshiro, who was with her, one hand on the dark-haired twin's shoulder, the other on Hyorinmaru's hilt; Kisuke, for letting her be a part of Christmas with everyone; and finally Yamamoto.

"Thank you again, Ojii-san!" She beamed, starting after her father. A few steps from the corner, where the former captain was leaning against the wall of the building, smoking a cigarette, Yuzu turned and waved with a bright smile on her face. "Happy Christmas, minna!"

They collectively waved back, but no one moved until the pair of Kurosakis were well out of sight, and reiatsu sensing told them that the former captain had re-entered his gigai. Then the crowd began to trickle back inside.

"Fuck it's cold out here. Nel! Goddamit, woman! I'm freezin' my balls off here! Fucked up season ta have a big party. Humans're stupid. Holdin' th' biggest fucking fesitival o' th' year in th' middle o' th' fuckin' coldest season o' th' year…"

Nnoitra stalked into the Shoten by feel, his voice trailing off as he disappeared further into the warm building, followed by several others with similarly muttered sentiments. Toshiro shrugged as they passed him, but he, too, made his way back down to the party, guiding his girlfriend away from her brother. The other Arrancar and the Visoreds sought their Betas. A threat like that always made the Alphas clingy for a while, as was obvious by the way Grimmjow absolutely refused to loosen his hold on Ichigo, in spite of the way the panther was shivering. The last to leave were Kisuke, Shinji and Ulquiorra, but all three understood, as the Sotaicho made no move to leave the pair alone.

He turned to the orangette, "Are you alright, Ichigo?"

"Y-yeah. I'm fine." The hybrid was hesitant to answer, "Well…as fine as I can be, I guess." He looked up at his Alpha, "This couldn't hurt the cubs right?"

The panther nuzzled his Beta's ear, "No, I'm sure they're fine. If it'll make ya feel better, we c'n have Princess-chicky hug ya so her fairies c'n scan 'em ag'in."

Ichigo turned back to the old man with more confidence, "Then yeah, I'm fine. As long as my cubs are fine, I'm fine."

"I'm glad, because we had not gotten around to your gift before you stepped out of the room." The normally imposing captain of the First looked very much like a homely grandfather at that moment, leaning on Ryuujin Jakka in the its customary staff disguise once more. He escorted the couple back into the Shoten. "It is a shame that things have turned out the way they have, but I am hoping that history does not repeat itself any further. Watching my grandchildren grow up from a distance has always been my biggest regret. One I refuse to repeat with my great-grandchildren. Now, what say we put all of this unpleasantness behind us and I show you what I've brought for the little ones."

Ichigo let Yamamoto precede them and had to marvel at the way the old man was acting. A smile crept onto his face and his curiosity was doubled as Shiro floated around near the surface, also interested in what the Sotaicho had in store.

"Is he often like this?" Grimmjow rumbled into his mate's ear, and when the Beta shook his head, the panther let out a noise that sounded like 'huh', but with more amusement than amazement. "Bug-boy's right. Humans're weird. Shinigami ain't much better. Oof!"

He growled playfully at the orangette, rubbing his solar plexus, after the smaller male elbowed it and danced away down the stairs to the basement. He almost tripped over the hybrid as he came chasing down after his mate, because the orangette has stopped on the bottom step to stare at the hand-carved circular cradle Renji and Kenpachi were setting down.

It had kittens etched into the outside of the top edge, and inlaid darker wood in the patterns of both Ichigo's and Grimmjow's markings. The inside had a plain cushion, but more than enough space for four cubs to curl up together. There was even a mobile, arching over the center of the bed, dangling little chibi-style mice, birds, and fish. And above all, it rocked in a gentle swaying sort of motion.

"Oh…wow." Ichigo's hand flew to his mouth and the tears he'd fought back when confronted with his father spilled down his cheeks as he brushed his other hand over the carvings. "It's beautiful."

The Sexta's response was more intrusive. He stalked right up to it, sniffing it, poking at the bedding, making it rock, batting lightly at the dangling bits. Then he tried to dig his claws into the side. An outcry of shock from many of the gathered Shinigami accompanied his movement, but Kisuke cut them all off.

"Is it strong enough, Grimmjow-san?"

"Mah. Ta begin wit'. Though these things," The blunette flicked one of the stuffed mice, "will be destroyed b'fore th' kittens're six months old."

"We figured as much, but by then, maybe we'll have a better idea of what ta give 'em ta keep 'em busy, ne?" Renji smiled.

Kenpachi nudged Ichigo's shoulder gently, "Been workin' on this fer weeks, Kurosaki. Them cubs o' yers better come out kickin' an' screamin'."

"Y-you guys did this?" The orangette glanced from face to face astounded.

"Yeah." Ikkaku rolled his shoulders as Yumichika flicked his hair.

Juushiro smiled broadly, "After your stunning display in front of the Central 46 your burgeoning family became the talk of Seireitei. Being one of several siblings, I proposed that we all chip in to give you something for the coming months."

"I came up with the design." Shunsui grinned, touching his hat significantly. Nanao cleared her throat, and the captain of the Eighth amended, "With the help of my lovely Nanao-chan, of course!"

Renji puffed out his chest, "I carved the kittens."

"Ken-chan sewed the pillow!" Yachiru chimed from atop her favorite perch, who rolled his eyes dismissively in reaction to the way Ichigo gasped.

"Restu came up wit' th' idea fer th' mobil." Kenpachi deliberately trying to shift the praise from himself, though he was _not_ embarrassed.

"And Hanataro-kun was such a dear to gather the cloth. He and Isane-san dyed them those colors so that the kittens will have ocular stimulation before they can begin to chase them. It will strengthen their vision for later." The Smile graced Unohana's face, and several of the gathered Shinigami shivered in fear.

"The SWA drew the animals for the patterns!" Rangiku cheered, an arm over each Rukia and Isane's shoulders.

Soi fon refused to look at the group. She sniffed. "I merely provided reference pictures using Yoruichi-sama's most perfect cat form."

"And I, of course, posed for the pictures." The feline woman grinned, wrapping her arms around her successor, much to the stoic woman's embarrassment.

Ichigo took in the measure of the cradle again, marveling at how well-crafted it was. "I'm guessing Yama-jii darkened the parts that look stained..." The Sotaicho gave a small nod of acknowledgement before the orangette continued, "But…what I can't figure out is where you all got such beautiful wood to begin with."

"I believe I can answer that, Kurosaki." Byakuya's quiet voice came from his left, and the orange head whipped up at the captain of the Sixth in astonishment.

"You!? Is this…I mean…did you…?" The hybrid stammered and sunk onto the bottom of the stairs.

The noble inclined his head, "Yes, it is cherry wood from the Kuchiki estate's garden." His stoic expression became wistful and a fine-boned hand rested on the edge. "Hisana and I always wanted children. If we had been given the time, she wanted the cradle to have been carved from the tree she and I planted on our wedding day."

"S-so…th-this is…you had them make…for us? WHY?!" Though it burned his core, Ichigo's emotions ran away with him, and he wailed, tears pouring down his face at the touching gesture.

A light cuff across his temple, accompanied by the husky voice of the Shinigami who'd literally changed his entire world, brought his gaze up, sniffling at her. "Baka."

He looked around at all the faces of his friends, his pack-mates, his nakama, and found himself smiling like an idiot. Grimmjow slunk around behind him, wrapping his arms around the Beta's shoulders, and a deep purr rumbled from the panther's chest. All around the pair the people gathered returned the smile full force.

"Th-thank you, all…so much."

As one, the crowd of Shinigami and humans cheered, "Merry Christmas!" with varying forms of 'Ichigo', 'Nii-chan', and 'Kurosaki' tacked on the end as each person used the honorific he or she was most comfortable with.

**~End Interlude~**

* * *

**A/N 2: **I know that says "end" up there, but there is the possibility for smut to wrap this up. Since it was a Christmas special I didn't want it to be in the middle too much. So, even though I alluded to it, I didn't give you guys any details. T^T I'm sorry! If you want it, let me know and I can give you guys the stuff that happened before dinner. Also, let me know which pairings you want to see, that way I'm not posting random smut that nobody wants. So, for choices we've got Grimm/Ichi (of course, lol); Ulqui/Hime; Shinji/Kisuke/Szayel; Nnoi/Nel/Tesla; Renji/Bya; Toshi/Karin; and Starrk/Hali. There are several pairings there I haven't done ANYTHING with yet.

For those who are curious, Yachiru's hairclip is the Skullanimals kitty that says: "I still purr." I couldn't reisist. They're just too cute. Anyway, ja ne!

**Belly Report:**

Ichigo – 14 weeks  
Orihime – 33 weeks  
Nel – 9 weeks  
Tesla – 8 weeks


End file.
